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Cora Sue Collins, the charming child actress of the 1930s and ’40s who worked alongside such legends as Greta Garbo, Claudette Colbert, Bette Davis, Irene Dunne and Merle Oberon during her brief but sensational career, has died. She was 98.

Collins died Sunday at her home in Beverly Hills of complications from a stroke, her daughter, Susie Krieser, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Collins played younger versions of Colbert in Torch Singer (1933), Frances Dee in The Strange Case of Clara Deane (1932) and Keep ‘Em Rolling (1934), Loretta Young in Caravan (1934), Oberon in The Dark Angel (1935) and Lynn Bari in Blood and Sand (1941).

“I must have the most common face in the world,” she said in a 2019 interview. “I played either the most famous actresses of the ’30s as a child or their child. They made me up to look like everybody.”

The MGM contract player also was William Powell and Myrna Loy’s...

After a century of non-recognition for their broken bones and unsightly bruises, movie stunt designers are finally getting their own Oscar. It’s about time stunt guys and gals get their flowers for death-defying feats. But forget Mission: Impossible Xiv and the next James Bond — many comedies are stuffed with outrageous acts of physical prowess, too.

Here are six of the most insane stunts from classic comedies…

1 Jackass 3D

The Guardian couldn’t get enough of this tour de force, featuring Steve O in a port-o-potty that’s shot into the air like a rocket. But wait — the flying toilet is tethered to the earth with bungee cords, meaning Steve O gets doused in doo-doo with each bounce. If the Academy had its act together in 2010, the Jackass team could have claimed its Oscar.

2 Safety Last!

The fact that Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock hand in 1923 still inspires sweaty...

Jack Lilley, the stunt performer and actor who made a home for himself on Little House on the Prairie by working on every one of the beloved NBC drama’s nine seasons, has died. He was 91.

Lilley had Alzheimer’s disease and died Wednesday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his granddaughter Savanah Lilley told The Signal, a news outlet in Santa Clarita.

In Blazing Saddles (1974), Lilley played one of the outlaws who loots the town of Rock Ridge, and in one scene, he and his horse slide into a pool of mud and are submerged. It was an accident, but director Mel Brooks liked it so much, he kept it in the movie.

The mustachioed Lilley had worked with Michael Landon on Bonanza for years starting in 1961, and that led to Landon hiring him for Little House in 1974. (Landon, of course, starred in,...

There’s something magical about the movie Singin’ in the Rain. No matter how many times you watch it, the film feels just as fresh and joyful as the first time. It’s more than just a classic musical; it’s a beautiful and joyous story about love, ambition, and the challenges of an evolving time in Hollywood.

Set at a time when the film industry was transitioning from silent films to talkies, the movie showed creativity and charm in the chaos of that era. But everything was portrayed with a lighthearted touch.

Gene Kelly in the musical romantic comedy movie Singin’ in the Rain | Credit: Warner Bros.

At its core, however, there is a celebration of passion that was beautifully brought to life by its three stars, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Their chemistry and energy turned every scene into a cinematic treat.

While the movie brims with memorable moments,...

The Turner Classic Movies (TCM) network unveiled themes, spotlights, and stars it will feature in 2025, as well as the year’s tentpole events and returning podcasts. Last year the network celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Among offerings this year will be 31 Days of Oscar, the second iteration of Two-for-One films, Summer Under the Stars and monthly birthday celebrations of the legends who made their mark on the industry. Also announced during the festival was the renewal of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson’s stewardship to TCM through 2025.

TCM will celebrate a different star every month, including Elvis Presley on what would have been his 90th birthday, Peter Sellers, Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, Tony Curtis and Donald O’Connor on what would be their 100th birthdays, as well as Dick Van Dyke, on his 100th birthday in December. Other stars featured throughout the year include George Raft, Barbara Stanwyck,...

Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson have renewed their commitment to Turner Classic Movies, and George Stevens Jr. and Michael Schultz will be honored at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April, it was announced Saturday.

TCM also noted that new episodes of Two for One will return to the channel in April, with filmmakers and Ben Mankiewicz co-hosting a double feature on Saturday nights. Joe Dante, Kathy Bates and Jamie Lee Curtis will be among the guests.

TCM will continue to celebrate a different star every month, like Elvis Presley on what would have been his 90th birthday; Peter Sellers, Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, Tony Curtis and Donald O’Connor on what would have been their 100th birthdays; and Dick Van Dyke on his 100th birthday in December.

George Raft, Barbara Stanwyck, Red Skelton, Mae West, Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon will also be featured throughout 2025.

During its 31st year,...

"The Ballad of Gilligan's Island," in case it needs repeating, is the single best TV theme song of all time. In addition to explicitly explaining the premise of the classic show, "Ballad" introduces every single one of its seven main characters by name. It also helps that it's one of the most insidious earworms this side of "Yellow Submarine"; once you get "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" stuck in your head, it will never leave. Your mind will be as lost as the Minnow.

In the original pilot episode for "Gilligan's Island," back before the final cast had been selected, the theme song was a calypso number composed by John Williams. That song, however, wasn't exactly what show creator Sherwood Schwartz wanted, so he and songwriter George Wyle wrote a second, better theme.. His and Schwartz's "Ballad" was written as a sea shanty, and no one can hear its...

As a genre, movie musicals have had some serious ups and downs throughout Hollywood history. Right now, they definitely seem to be on an upswing, especially now that the long-awaited "Wicked" movie blew everyone away at the box office — and it was only the first half of the musical to boot.

In recent years, movie musicals like "Wonka," "Mean Girls," "The Greatest Showman," "La La Land," and even the filmed stage version of "Hamilton" have become enormous hits, though critical reception has been decidedly mixed across these projects. So what are the best musicals ever according to the official Rotten Tomatoes ranking of movie musicals? Only three musicals earned 100% ratings on the review aggregate, which is — I have to say — a little surprising, largely because some all-time classics apparently missed the cut. For example, "The Sound of Music" and the original "West Side Story" only earned 83% and 92%, respectively, despite being two staples of the genre,...

American actor, singer and dancer who played Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film musical South Pacific

The actor and singer Mitzi Gaynor, best remembered as the star of the 1958 film musical South Pacific, began her showbiz career as an ingenue – the young, pretty female stock character whose marriage ends old-style comedies: the audience never gets to see her grow into a woman. And a bubbly ingenue Gaynor remained throughout a long performing life, still working her adorability when she made her Manhattan cabaret debut at Feinstein’s in 2010 at 78.

Gaynor, who has died aged 93, had talent. Her speaking tended to the cute, though she had enough belt as a singer to be plausibly cast into the vaudeville family of There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), as Ethel Merman’s daughter – they duetted brassily. She was a competent enough dancer to carry the centre of Jack Cole-choreographed routines in The I...

Mitzi Gaynor, star of 1950s big-screen musicals including “South Pacific” and “Les Girls” and a series of beloved variety specials in the 1970s, died on Thursday. She was 93.

Gaynor’s management team, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, confirmed to Variety that she died of natural causes.

“For eight decades she entertained audiences in films, on television and on the stage. She truly enjoyed every moment of her professional career and the great privilege of being an entertainer,” Reyes and Rosamonda wrote in a statement on Gaynor’s X account. “Off stage, she was a vibrant and extraordinary woman, a caring and loyal friend, and a warm, gracious, very funny and altogether glorious human being.”

Gaynor starred as Navy nurse Nellie Forbush in the 1958 big-screen adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” together with Rossano Brazzi as French planter Emile De Becque and John Kerr as Lt. Cable. Gaynor sang...

Mitzi Gaynor, the leggy entertainer whose saucy vitality and blond beauty graced the big screen in South Pacific and on Las Vegas stages and in spectacular TV specials, has died. She was 93.

Gaynor, who received top billing over The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 16, 1964, and was famed costume designer Bob Mackie’s first celebrity client, died Oct. 17 of natural causes, her team announced in a statement.

“As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life,” Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda of Gaynor’s Mgmt team said in a statement shared on the entertainer’s X (formerly known as Twitter.)

“Your love, support and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life. She often noted that her audiences were ‘the sunshine of my life.’ You truly were.

With the announcement for the 76th Primetime Emmys set for July 17th, let’s travel back 70 years and revisit the winners of the 6th Emmy Awards held Feb. 11, 1954 at the venerable Hollywood Palladium and telecast on Khj. New categories introduced that year included best new program and supporting actor and actress in a TV series. Prior to 1954, performers were nominated as individuals, but this year the program for which they were nominated was also included. NBC was nominated for 36 Emmys, while CBS placed second with 30 and ABC trailing far behind with just three.

CBS’s cherished “I Love Lucy’ won its second Emmy for best comedy series, while Vivian Vance took home her only Emmy for the show for her supporting role as Ethel Mertz. The other nominees for comedy series were CBS’ “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” NBC’s “Mr. Peepers,” CBS’ “Our Miss Brooks,” and CBS “Topper.

By the time the curtain rang down on CBS’ “The Judy Garland Show” on March 29, 1964, the musical variety show had, in just one season, three producers and three different formats. Despite good reviews from critics and Judy Garland’s devoted fan base, the series wasn’t felled by the mercurial Garland being difficult but by the Cartwrights — Ben, Little Joe, Adam, and Hoss — of NBC’s ratings powerhouse “Bonanza.”

Though “The Judy Garland Show” was cancelled after one season, it certainly has lived on over the past six decades. The show was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of 60 series that were “Cancelled Too Soon.” It certainly was the series that got away. Not only was the mercurial Garland in top (and emotional) voice, but the show also featured a powerhouse of guest stars from her frequent leading man Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger from “The Wizard of Oz” and newcomers such as Barbra Streisand.

He's fallen in love and just walked home the girl of his dreams. Now, there's nothing left for him to do but walk the rainy streets of Los Angeles, and do a time-step or two. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor starred in what many consider to be one of the greatest musicals of all time, Singin' in the Rain. Released in 1952, it has stood the test of time and is celebrated for its elaborate sets, incredibly staged musical productions, and satirical depiction of show business. Kelly not only starred in the film, but he also co-directed with Stanley Donen and choreographed alongside assistant choreographer, Carol Haney. This massive undertaking provided a challenge Kelly couldn't have foreseen heading into the film's most iconic dance number.

Rita McKenzie, known for staging the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history, died Feb. 17 in Los Angeles days before her 77th birthday. She succumbed to what her family described as a long-term illness.

A powerhouse stage voice and theatrical personality, McKenzie’s 1988 off-Broadway one-woman show, Ethel Merman’s Broadway, became the longest-running one- woman show in theatrical history.

McKenzie had a wide theatrical resume. She played Lita Encore in the Los Angeles premiere of Ruthless! The Musical and reprised the role in the recent New York revival of the show.

She also performed a wide range of stage roles throughout the U..S , including Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, appeared in the 50th Anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun, played Rose in Gypsy, and starred in a three-year U.S. tour of Neil Simon’s The Female Odd Couple, co-starring with Barbara Eden.

Additionally, she was the opening act...

Rita McKenzie, the actress and singer best known for her boisterous performances in the one-woman show Ethel Merman’s Broadway, died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long illness, her husband, talent agent Scott Stander, announced. She was 76.

McKenzie first starred on stage as the powerful Merman — star of such iconic Broadway hits as Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Hello, Dolly! — in New York in 1988.

Belting out tunes like “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” McKenzie toured throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia in what many consider the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history.

She also starred in parts that Merman made famous: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, the gunslinger in a 50th anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun and Rose in Gypsy.

Watch her perform here.

A native of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, McKenzie starred...

Piper Laurie, the actor known for portraying Carrie’s unstable, evangelical mother and Packard Sawmill head Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks, has died at age 91. Her manager confirmed the news to CNN, but did not provide a cause of death.

Born Rosetta Jacobs on January 22nd, 1932, the young actor changed her name to Piper Laurie after signing to Universal Studios at age 17. She experienced early success in the Golden Age of Hollywood: she portrayed Ronald Reagan’s daughter in Louisa (and even engaged in a brief romance with the soon-to-be president), and worked alongside Donald O’Connor, Tony Curtis, and Rory Calhoun in Francis Goes to the Races, Son of Ali Baba, and Ain’t Misbehavin’, respectively.

Though she could count those names on her resume, Laurie felt unfulfilled by the roles she was given. She bristled at Hollywood’s one-dimensional depictions of women. “Every role I played was the same girl,...

Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's Singin' in the Rain is an iconic film, and its cast ensemble consisting of Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, among others, went on to cement their positions in Hollywood as legends in cinema following their performance in the cult-following film. Many remember the famous and unforgettable "Singin' in the Rain" scene. The scene is a perfect harmony between actor Gene Kelly's portrayal of fictional actor Don Lockwood's rhythmic movement with an umbrella in tow, the music, and the soft sound of rain beautifully mixed with the tapping of his feet splashing through puddles of water on the cemented floor. The now legendary Singin' in the Rain scene's artistry combines three elements: picture, sound, and dance. It is a spectacle. But the making of the iconic film was not without its share of side drama, including the hospitalization of one of its main cast members.

Underrated movie musicals like The Last Five Years and Sing Street use music to convey realistic emotions and tell grounded stories. There are delightful musicals from Hollywood and other countries, like the UK, India, and Japan, that often go unnoticed. Films like Anna and the Apocalypse and Ricki and the Flash bring unique twists to the musical genre, combining elements of horror and comedy with catchy songs.

From the Golden Age classics to modern-day reimaginings, musicals have continued to fascinate Hollywood and the rest of the world. Still, some continue to be lesser known, even though they are must-watch cult favorites in their own right. These underrated movie musicals might include conventional genre entries, with the characters narrating their woes and desires with synchronized song-and-dance numbers, or more contemporary takes on the genre itself. In movies like Ricki and the Flash and Sing Street, the characters no longer sing like they’re performing on Broadway.

Singin' in the Rain is one of the best Hollywood musicals of all time and features plenty of amazing songs. Released in 1952, the Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly-directed film proved to be an instant hit with musical lovers as it was full of gorgeous technicolor, show-stopping performances, and hilarious comedy. The movie also proved to be a huge success critically, with Jean Hagen accruing an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Lennie Hayton receiving a nomination for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.

Most of all, it is remembered for its incredible musical numbers. There are eight songs in the film, and they range from wholly enjoyable, to some of the best songs ever put to film. Chronicling Hollywood's transition into sound, Singin' in the Rain has held up remarkably well considering its original release. It is a joyous and captivating movie, and its...

It only takes about five minutes of conversation with Chad Stahelski, the director of all four “John Wick” movies, to realize that he’s a passionate cinephile whose unique combination of influences is what gives the “Wick” franchise its distinct look. While Stahelski’s devotion to Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and other action directors might be expected, it’s an entirely different genre that provides the most important — and perhaps most surprising — basis for his work. “Everybody laughs when I say it, but I love musicals,” Stahelski told IndieWire. “Bob Fosse is a huge inspiration. Gene Kelly in ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’ We didn’t reinvent action or anything with ‘John Wick’ — we just spent all our money and time preparing Keanu to be our Gene Kelly.”

Read More: Why ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Earns Its Almost 3-Hour Running Time

All of the “John Wick” movies use Stahelski favorites like...

An out-of-nowhere global hit that makes the Energizer Bunny look lazy, S. S. Rajamouli’s 2022 film is a whirling dervish of a movie powered by music, mythology, and wall to wall special effects. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan play two enemies who become fast friends in their search for a kidnapped child. Highlighted by one of the most joyous dance scenes since Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor, Rrr was the most expensive Indian film to that date—the movie paid off in a treasure trove of awards and accolades.

The post Rrr appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

When MGM’s Singin’ in the Rain, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s musical valentine to Hollywood’s silent film era as it transitioned into the world of talkies, opened in the spring of 1952, it instantly won over moviegoers. Writing in The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther enthused, “Compounded generously of music, dance, color spectacle and a riotous abundance of Gene Kelly, Jean Hagen and Donald O’Connor on the screen, all elements in this rainbow program are carefully contrived and guaranteed to lift the dolors of winter and put you in a buttercup mood.” The movie went on to become a box office hit, ranking as the 10th highest-grossing film of the year in North America. The Writers Guild awarded Betty Comden and Adolph Green its prize for best-written American musical. The Directors Guild nominated Kelly and Donen for outstanding direction. And the Golden Globe Awards nominated it as best comedy or musical.

70 years after its original release, the influence of musical juggernaut "Singin' in the Rain" is immeasurable. A Hollywood satire filled to the brim with show-stopping musical numbers from Nacio Herb Brown with lyrics by Arthur Freed, its DNA is present in the likes of modern movie musicals like "La La Land," and its whimsical, love-struck title song still gets airplay in Pnc Park in star Gene Kelly's hometown anytime the Pittsburgh Pirates catch a rain delay.

For all of its extravagance and pomp, the story of a trio of showbiz performers grappling with the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood had a modest reception upon its original 1952 release, and would collect just a handful of awards in its day. Over the decades, though, the movie (which was co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen) grew in reputation, and by 1989, the Library of Congress recognized its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance," preserving...

Whatever associations you may have with Lyle the crocodile, you probably didn’t imagine him crooning like Shawn Mendes. Based on Bernard Waber’s beloved children’s book originally published in 1965, the existence of a “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” movie proves nothing is sacred in Hollywood — especially nostalgic childhood storybooks.

If a CGI crocodile with the dulcet tenor of a pop idol seems at odds with Waber’s freehand illustrations, Javier Bardem is perfectly in step as eccentric showman Hector P. Valenti, star of stage and screen. Bardem’s lesser-seen playful side is on full display in “Lyle,” as he hoofs his way across New York City with madcap gusto. The minute he leaves the croc to fend for himself at the house on East 88th Street, his absence is sorely felt by all — not just lonely Lyle. Along with a few bouncy numbers from “The Greatest Showman” duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul,...

Click here to read the full article.

William Reynolds, who portrayed crime-stopping Special Agent Tom Colby opposite Efrem Zimbalist Jr. on the final seven seasons of the ABC crime drama The F.B.I., has died. He was 90.

Reynolds died Wednesday in Wildomar, California, from non-covid 19 complicated pneumonia, a family spokesperson announced.

The Los Angeles native also starred in three other series, all short-lived: as the trumpet player on the 1959 NBC drama Pete Kelly’s Blues, created by Jack Webb; on ABC’s The Islanders, a 1960-61 adventure show set in the East Indies; and on the World War II-set The Gallant Men, which ran on ABC from 1962-63.

In 1960, Reynolds memorably played a WWII officer who can’t ignore an ominous light on the faces of his men destined to be killed in the acclaimed Twilight Zone season-one episode “The Purple Testament.”

On the big screen, he appeared in the...

Within the first decade of his acting career, John Ritter played roles on over 20 TV series, including “The Waltons,” “M*A*S*H,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” In 1977, he landed his first regular lead part as Jack Tripper on ABC’s “Three’s Company,” which went on to rank as one of the top 10 programs for six of its eight seasons. As a young chef sharing an apartment with two women, Ritter received three Best Comedy Actor Emmy nominations and triumphed on his final outing in 1984.

Ritter’s first bid came in 1978, the same year that “Three’s Company” earned its only Best Comedy Series nomination. At 29, he was the category’s third youngest nominee, but has since fallen to 10th place. Of the seven younger actors who have added their names to the list in the last four decades, two were nominated before turning 16.

The television academy has recognized the work of...

Within the first decade of his acting career, John Ritter played roles on over 20 TV series, including “The Waltons,” “M*A*S*H,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” In 1977, he landed his first regular lead part as Jack Tripper on ABC’s “Three’s Company,” which went on to rank as one of the top 10 programs for six of its eight seasons. As a young chef sharing an apartment with two women, Ritter received three Best Comedy Actor Emmy nominations and triumphed on his final outing in 1984.

Ritter’s first bid came in 1978, the same year that “Three’s Company” earned its only Best Comedy Series nomination. At 29, he was the category’s third youngest nominee, but has since fallen to 10th place. Of the seven younger actors who have added their names to the list in the last four decades, two were nominated before turning 16.

The television academy has recognized the work of...

Stanley Donen's 1952 film "Singin' in the Rain," starring Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and the obnoxiously chipper Gene Kelly, was once held up in the pages of /Film as the Platonic ideal of movie musicals. It is a certainly a dance showcase of the highest order, and an unapologetic Hollywood nostalgia piece. Silent films are on the way out, sound pictures are on the way in, and singing and dancing are all set to be the future of cinema. "Singin' on the Rain" is also a jukebox musical. The songs are all old standards, including the title number, which came from "The Hollywood Revue of 1929" as did "You Were Meant for Me." "You Are My Lucky Star" was from "The Hollywood Revue of 1936," and "Good Morning" came from Busby Berkeley's 1939 film "Babes in Arms." Kelly and Donen concluded their film with a very, very long -- a Very long...

Thirteen years after winning his only Emmy for a “Ford Star Jubilee” production of “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” Lloyd Nolan received a second nomination for his work on the first season of NBC’s “Julia.” The titular Julia Baker, played by Diahann Carroll, was the first Black female lead character in TV history who was not employed as a servant. The widowed single mother worked as a nurse under Nolan’s Dr. Morton Chegley for the entirety of the show’s three-season run.

“Julia” earned four Emmy nominations in its first year, including ones for Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Actress (Carroll), and Best Comedy Guest Actor (Ned Glass). At age 66, Nolan established himself as the oldest contender in the history of the Best Comedy Actor category. He held onto that position for six years and then stayed in second place for another four decades. Since 2015, he has been steadily...

Thirteen years after winning his only Emmy for a “Ford Star Jubilee” production of “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” Lloyd Nolan received a second nomination for his work on the first season of NBC’s “Julia.” The titular Julia Baker, played by Diahann Carroll, was the first Black female lead character in TV history who was not employed as a servant. The widowed single mother worked as a nurse under Nolan’s Dr. Morton Chegley for the entirety of the show’s three-season run.

“Julia” earned four Emmy nominations in its first year, including ones for Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy Actress (Carroll), and Best Comedy Guest Actor (Ned Glass). At age 66, Nolan established himself as the oldest contender in the history of the Best Comedy Actor category. He held onto that position for six years and then stayed in second place for another four decades. Since 2015, he has been steadily...

by Cláudio Alves

Reader James Lovelace requested that the 'Almost There' series would examine more films from Hollywood's Golden Era. Indeed, along with his request, he sent a list of pre-1970 suggestions, including the one featured today. Looking away from more recent Oscar snubs, let's start August by considering one of the 1950s' best and most joyous musicals. Though nowadays Singin' in the Rain is often cited as a pinnacle of its genre, back in the day, AMPAS and the public weren't nearly as effusive. The picture was only a modest hit and only scored two Oscar nominations – for its music and Jean Hagen's iconic performance as Lina Lamont.

In a just world, other actors from the classic would have joined Hagen on Oscar night. Chief among them, we have Donald O'Connor, a vaudevillian veteran turned musical movie star…...

When Kelsey Grammer made his first guest appearance on the sitcom “Cheers” as Dr. Frasier Crane in 1984, it marked the beginning of an impressive legacy. He stayed on for the next nine years, earning a pair of supporting Emmy bids, as well as a third for guest starring as Crane on “Wings.” Before “Cheers” ended its run in 1993, it was decided that Crane would live on as the protagonist of his own show, “Frasier.” In all, Grammer portrayed the character for 20 straight years – a record in the comedy genre.

“Frasier” earned five Primetime Emmys for its inaugural season, including Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actor. Grammer’s first of four eventual wins came for his work in the pilot episode, “The Good Son,” in which Crane reservedly invites his estranged, widowed father to live with him. The 39-year-old’s victory made him the seventh youngest winner in his category,...

Before John Lithgow brought home Primetime Emmy awards for his dramatic work on “Dexter” (2010) and “The Crown” (2017), he nabbed a trio of prizes for playing the role of Dick Solomon on the sitcom “3rd Rock from the Sun.” The series’ bizarre premise was centered on the earthly expedition of a team of extraterrestrials disguised as a typical American family, with Lithgow’s character posing as their patriarch.

Lithgow’s final win for this role came for the fourth season episode, “What’s Love Got to Do, Got to Do with Dick?,” in which Solomon navigates an attraction toward a colleague, played by Best Comedy Guest Actress nominee Laurie Metcalf. Being 53 at the time of his victory, Lithgow was the eighth oldest champion in his category, but currently ranks 10th. This is due to the fact that, over the last six years alone, the category has seen its first two septuagenarian winners.

Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, creators of the new Showtime series The Man Who Fell to Earth, talk to hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante about the movies that inspired them.

Show Notes:

Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

Amistad (1997)

Love Actually (2003)

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)

Blazing Saddles (1974) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s Blazing Saddles Thanksgiving

Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

The Bad News Bears (1976) – Jessica Bendinger’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Airplane! (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Bambi (1942)

Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis trailer commentary

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

The Boy Friend (1971) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Yellow Submarine (1968) – George Hickenlooper...

Francis the Talking Mule – 7 Film Collection

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1950 – 1957 / 1.33:1, 2:1, 1.85:1

Starring Donald O’Connor, Chill Wills, Piper Laurie, Julie Adams

Written by David Stern, Oscar Brodney

Directed by Arthur Lubin, Charles Lamont

Born in 1909, David “Tom” Stern III was a journalist who lived a long and prosperous life—his father was media magnate J. David Stern, publisher of the now-defunct Philadelphia Record, the New York Post, and New Jersey’s Courier-Post. The younger Stern emulated his father’s success in the newspaper business; by 1949, Stern III was able to purchase the New Orleans Item-Tribune for 2,000,000. The rest of his fortune arrived in 1946 with Francis, The Talking Mule, Stern’s tall tale about a loquacious donkey. The scope of the book’s success was almost as unreal as the mule itself. In 1999, on Stern’s 90th birthday, a friend dedicated this verse;

Here’s a toast to Tom Stern

A man of great class.

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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Announces The Beloved Classic

Singin’ In The Rain To Be Released On 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™

Acclaimed as one of the greatest Musical films of all time,

will Be Available For The First Time In 4K Resolution With High Dynamic Range (Hdr)

Burbank, CA, – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ In The Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26.

Singin’ In The Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.

The film was written by Adolph Green and...

Burbank, CA – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ in the Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26.

Singin’ in the Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.

The film was written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and produced by Arthur Freed. The music is by Nacio Herb Brown and the lyrics are by Arthur Freed.

O’Connor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green won the Writers Guild of America Award for their screenplay, while...

The movie awards’ season is in full flower with such films as Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog”; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”; Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” among the favorites for top prizes. But one thing we know for certain is that there is no sure thing when it comes to the Oscars. Consider the case of seventy years ago. Not only were there surprises among the nominees, but there were also some shocks when it came to the winners of the 1952 Oscars.

Let’s revisit the 24th Academy Awards, which took place March 20, 1952 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and were hosted by Danny Kaye. This was the last time the ceremony was presented on radio. The show moved to television the following year. Among the presenters that evening were Lucille Ball,...

When Kelsey Grammer made his first guest appearance on the sitcom “Cheers” as Dr. Frasier Crane in 1984, it marked the beginning of an impressive legacy. He stayed on for the next nine years, earning a pair of supporting Emmy bids, as well as a third for guest starring as Crane on “Wings.” Before “Cheers” ended its run in 1993, it was decided that Crane would live on as the protagonist of his own show, “Frasier.” In all, Grammer portrayed the character for 20 straight years – a record in the comedy genre.

“Frasier” earned five Primetime Emmys for its inaugural season, including Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actor. Grammer’s first of four eventual wins came for his work in the pilot episode, “The Good Son,” in which Crane reservedly invites his estranged, widowed father to live with him. The 39-year-old’s victory made him the seventh youngest winner in his category,...

Before John Lithgow brought home Primetime Emmy awards for his dramatic work on “Dexter” (2010) and “The Crown” (2017), he nabbed a trio of prizes for playing the role of Dick Solomon on the sitcom “3rd Rock from the Sun.” The series’ bizarre premise was centered on the earthly expedition of a team of extraterrestrials disguised as a typical American family, with Lithgow’s character posing as their patriarch.

Lithgow’s final win for this role came for the fourth season episode, “What’s Love Got to Do, Got to Do with Dick?,” in which Solomon navigates an attraction toward a colleague, played by Best Comedy Guest Actress nominee Laurie Metcalf. Being 53 at the time of his victory, Lithgow was the eighth oldest champion in his category, but currently ranks 10th. This is due to the fact that, over the last five years alone, the category has seen its first two septuagenarian winners.

Without exception, everyone involved in creating and executing Apple TV+'s newest sensation, the musical comedy (or is it a comedic musical?) Schmigadoon! has agreed that it was a magical experience.

Through a virtual press day, TV Fanatic had the opportunity to speak to many of the people who are so proud and excited to share this uniquely delightful work with the world. In this, our first in the series, we hear about the inception and vision for Schmigadoon! from its creator and one of the stars.

Executive producer and creator Cinco Paul not only dreamed up the idea of it and wrote the script, but he also composed all the songs as well. SNL's Cecily Strong stars in it as Melissa and is also a producer.

Schmigadoon! was a lifetime in the making. Cinco Paul has loved musicals from his early childhood, and the opportunity to make a...

Martha Stewart, best known for co-starring alongside Joan Crawford and Humphrey Bogart in “Daisy Kenyon” and “In a Lonely Place,” respectively, died on Feb. 17, her daughter Colleen Shelly confirmed on Twitter. She was 98.

“The original Martha Stewart left us yesterday,” Shelly wrote. “She had a new part to play in a movie with all her heavenly friends. She went off peacefully surrounded by her family and cat.”

Known for her roles in classic 1940s and ’50s Hollywood movies, Stewart made her film debut in the 1945 musical comedy “Doll Face.” The following year she starred opposite Richard Crane in “Johnny Comes Flying Home” and June Haver in 1947’s “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now.” Her additional credits include comedy “Are You With It?” opposite Donald O’Connor, 1952’s musical “Aaron Slick From Punkin Crick” and noir crime-drama “Convicted” with Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford. Her final credit was 1964’s beach-themed musical comedy “Surf Party.

“She can’t act, she can’t sing, she can’t dance. A triple threat!”

Singin’ In The Rain is one of Hollywood’s most beloved films and you’ll have a chance to see it on the big screen when it plays at The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, Il at 7:30pm Friday, February 12th. Admission is $12 and ticket information can be found Here. This Showing Will Include Limited Reserved Social Distancing Seating.. Face Mask Required While Not Seated., a famous silent movie star, and his friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) as they brace for Hollywood’s transition into the Age of Sound. This period in film history serves only as a backdrop for one of the most lavish films ever made. In addition to the comedy, what makes Singin’ In The Rain so memorable is the dance numbers. Watching O’Connor flail around during “Make ‘Em Laugh” is hilarious...

The Wonders of Aladdin

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1961 / 93 Min. / 2:35.1

Starring Donald O’Connor, Vittorio De Sica

Cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli

Directed by Henry Levin

Henry Levin was a more than reliable director of Hollywood entertainments, most notably the unassailable widescreen thrills of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Donald O’Connor was a first-class, multi-faceted actor. Mario Bava was a visionary genre trickster. And Vittorio De Sica was one of world cinema’s greatest artists. Shocking, then, that their 1960 collaboration, The Wonders of Aladdin is just another movie… a non-event, a Saturday matinee misfire.

O’Connor promoted the fantasy with a bit of brazen ballyhoo: “The story of Aladdin has been done by everyone but this is its first time around as a comedy.” Dave and Max Fleischer would beg to differ—their 1939 Popeye cartoon, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, serves up more laughs, not to mention more magic,...

We told you. Remember the rules. You didn’t listen. Now we’re Back with an all new batch of guest recommendations featuring Blake Masters, Julien Nitzberg, Floyd Norman, Tuppence Middleton and Blaire Bercy.

Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Wild Angels (1966)

Spirits of the Dead (1966)

The Trip (1967)

Mooch Goes To Hollywood (1971)

Stalker (1979)

The Candidate (1972)

The Parallax View (1974)

Network (1976)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Ace In The Hole (1951)

Margin Call (2011)

Death Wish (1974)

Death Wish (2018)

Seconds (1966)

Soylent Green (1973)

Rage (1972)

Assault on Wall Street (2013)

Repo Man (1984)

Elmer Gantry (1960)

The Train (1965)

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

Strange Brew (1983)

To Have And Have Not (1944)

Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

Easter Parade (1948)

The Band Wagon (1953)

Guys And Dolls (1955)

On The Town (1949)

Casablanca (1942)

The Dirt Gang (1972)

Back To The Future (1985)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Big Sleep (1946)

Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949)

My Man Godfrey...

The Thief of Baghdad

Blu ray – All Region

Colosseo Film

1961 /100 min.

Starring Steve Reeves, Georgia Moll, Arturo Dominici

Cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli

Directed by Arthur Lubin

When he shuffled off this mortal coil in 1995, Arthur Lubin’s New York Times obituary was titled “Arthur Lubin, 96, Director Of ‘Mr. Ed’ TV Series, Dies.” It’s doubtful the prolific Lubin would have complained about that particular credit headlining his accomplishments; the man who directed Karloff and Lugosi, jumpstarted Abbott and Costello’s film career and gave Clint Eastwood his first break, also had a thing for talking animals. In 1950 he bought the rights to a book about a talking mule and began a series of hit comedies starring a four-legged chatterbox named Francis and his two-legged pal played by Donald O’Connor.

Industrious to a fault, Lubin’s career was spent crisscrossing from theater to film to television and back again yet...

“She can’t act, she can’t sing, she can’t dance. A triple threat!”

Singin’ In The Rain screens Sunday Night June 14th at the Sky View Drive-in in Litchfield, Il. (1500 Historic Old Route 66) This is part of the Sky View’s ‘Throwback Sundays’. The second Sunday of the month, they screen a classic movie. Admission is only $7 (free for kids under 5). The movie starts at dusk (8:45-ish).

Singin’ In The Rain is part musical, part comedy, and part romance, but it is always all of these things at the same time. The story follows Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), a famous silent movie star, and his friend Cosmo (Donald O’Connor) as they brace for Hollywood’s transition into the Age of Sound. This period in film history serves only as a backdrop for one of the most lavish films ever made. In addition to the comedy, what makes...

“It is 100% harder to play a good actor,” declares David Corenswet about his character in Netflix’s “Hollywood.” The period drama from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan puts a revisionist spin on the movie industry in the 1940’s. Corenswet, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, plays war veteran and aspiring actor Jack Costello, whose journey takes him from a gas station prostitution ring to the Academy Awards. Watch our exclusive video with Corenswet above.

See‘Hollywood’: 23 real characters that inspired Ryan Murphy’s Netflix limited series

To capture the style of acting that was en vogue during the time period, Corenswet spent a lot of time watching films from that era that were also popular in his household growing up. “‘Singing in the Rain’ is definite favorite,” he says. “Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor were definitely models for the kind of young, earnest, wide-eyed, good-natured...

Make way for the parade! Featuring Brian Trenchard-Smith, Eli Roth, Katt Shea, Thomas Jane, our very own Don Barrett and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death (1975)

I Think We’re Alone Now (2018)

The Rhythm Section (2020)

Atomic Blonde (2017)

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965)

The Ipcress File (1965)

Funeral In Berlin (1966)

Extraction (2020)

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

The Mermaid (2016)

Oklahoma! (1955)

Singin’ In The Rain (1953)

Nightcrawler (2014)

I Think We’re Alone Now (2008)

Ghetto Freaks a.k.a. Sign of Aquarius (1970)

Hostel (2005)

Cabin Fever (2002)

Final Cut: Ladies And Gentlemen (2012)

The Movie Orgy (1968)

Gremlins (1984)

The Goonies (1985)

Hell of the Living Dead a.k.a. Night of the Zombies (1980)

Troll 2 (1990)

In The Land Of The Cannibals a.k.a. Land of...