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Rex Harrison won a Tony in 1957 and later, in 1964, an Oscar for playing Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. Ok, you knew that already. Here are some things you may not know about this major stage and Hollywood star: — He was born Reginald Harrison in England in 1908. He later said he […]
It’s almost forgotten. A quickie from 1950, one of those magical years in Hollywood. The studio system was tottering but still dominant, and film noir in general was very much in decent, watchable shape. As you may have noticed, we’ve included below some of our top noir picks (one from the 1950’s), and while Woman […]
Do you recognize the man pictured above? Don’t feel bad if you don’t. Superlative supporting actors of the classic Hollywood period — which in our man’s case was the 1950’s — immersed themselves so completely in the characters they played, they could have been invisible outside their individual roles. What, then, makes our man noteworthy? […]
How much did you know about the veteran actor? Did you know that his best big screen features were for Alfred Hitchcock, 1942’s Saboteur and the 1954 adaptation of Frederick Knott’s mystery drama, Dial M For Murder? (He was also featured with Ann Sheridan and Ronald Reagan in director Sam Wood’s King’s Row for Warner Bros.) In Dial M […]
He had one of the longest careers in Hollywood. He worked for some of the best directors and opposite some of the biggest stars. He was known as Bob Cummings. But for most of his film career he was billed as Robert Cummings. That was his real name. Though he had tried names such as […]
Yes, three men have won both the Tony and Oscar for performing in musicals. The first was the man pictured above. Just by the bald dome, furrowed brow and unflinching gaze, you should by able to recognize him immediately. If that’s not the case, we’ll help out with this identification — Yul Brynner. He […]
Here’s a film which deserves another look. Although largely dismissed in its time, it is in its own quiet way, a beauty. It gets better and better with each viewing. Some backround: Journey Into Fear was shot during the waning days of Orson Welles’ amazingly productive but highly contentious stint at RKO Radio Pictures in the early […]
You remember him, asserts Joe. Frank is not so sure. Be that as it may, we can tell you that today’s subject, Nat Pendelton, was a member in good standing of that robust classic movie elite — of athletes turned successful and often very interesting actors. Just to name three, Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe […]
How much did you know about France’s all-time premiere film star? Did you know that he — Jean Gabin — graces an official postage stamp issued by the French post office in 1998, two years after his death at age 72. And that he has portrayed the marvelous Inspector Maigret on the big screen in […]
Leave it to the French to produce a movie star who didn’t look like a movie star. (But note those eyes.) Having said that, we should hastily add that the guy pictured above — Jean Gabin — is France’s biggest movie star ever. Before you shrug your shoulders, you should appreciate that Gabin once gave […]