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In her very first film, 1954’s On The Waterfront, Eva Marie Saint became a movie star. And through the ensuing decades she has fashioned a career singularly her own. She starred opposite some of the top leading men of her generation. Her smashing film debut was opposite the most famous and exciting star of the era, […]
We usually associate singing movie cowboys with such luminaries Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Ken Maynard, and Tex Ritter. Herb Jeffries (pictured above and in costume below) isn’t thought of that way. Yet he was exactly that. Jeffries is considered America’s first black singing cowboy. Depending on the source, he was born Umberto Alexander Valentino in Detroit either in 1909, 1911, 1913 or […]
The late Patricia Williamson of Tucson, Arizona generously shared her photo collection with us. The above snapshot of her (right) with screen legend Marlene Dietrich was taken at Los Angeles’ Union Station as Marlene was leaving on a tour to sell War Bonds. Pat wasn’t the only one wishing her a “bon voyage.” Naturally, […]
How well do you know Lee Marvin? By the way, doesn’t our man look distinguished in that snappy sports jacket pictured above? We remember Marvin via yesterday’s Monday Quiz not only for his diverse big screen exploits but also for his pre-Hollywood service in the U.S. Marines in World War II. Marvin was the real […]
He was tough. He was one mean somma-bitch. He threw hot coffee into his leading lady’s face. And in keeping with Memorial Day, we also note that before he was a Hollywood star, Lee Marvin was a decorated Marine veteran of World War II. Imagine, a movie star who actually saw and fought in real combat. […]
Hollywood decided back in the Fifties that sexiness in an actress should somehow be balanced in the public eye with nonthreatening girl-next-door accessibility. Hedy Lamarr was great, but how ’bout that Jane Powell? She was a top star at MGM for twenty years. She sang and danced opposite Fred Astaire. She was indeed an image of […]
Let’s start with this question: is he a better writer than actor? We’re talking about Sir Michael Caine, the veteran British screen star who has written two excellent books about himself. The first, a great read, is titled (naturally enough) What’s It All About, and came out 22 years ago. A second combination memoir-autobiography was published in […]
Few periods in history have prompted more Monday-morning-quarterbacking than the Nazi occupation of France from 1940 through the summer of 1944. The French, of course, were (and remain) obsessed with this difficult time. One interesting upshot is that French star Maurice Chevalier, the gregarious song and dance man who won the hearts of Americans in two moviemaking […]
So how much did you know about “the fat man?” Let’s check out the answers to Monday’s Sydney Greenstreet Quiz to find out. To refresh yourselves about the questions, just scroll down to the blog below. Here we go: 1) Answer: d) Donald Crisp won the best supporting actor Oscar awarded in 1942 for his role in John […]
This is a much-prized photograph of one of our favorite actors — Sydney Greenstreet. You know, “the fat man” in his debut feature, 1941’s The Maltese Falcon. This photograph was taken from The Donald Gordon Collection, named for our late friend who as a young actor who found himself under contract at Columbia Pictures during World […]