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That’s our pal, the late Patricia Williamson (right), helping our star of the day sell war bonds. The photo is part of a wonderful vintage collection the late Williamson of Tucson, Arizona generously shared with us before her death. The above snapshot, showing her with Marlene Dietrich, was taken at Los Angeles’ Union Station as Marlene was […]
Above, the mature star. Below, Vanessa Redgrave with her famous husband and with her famous father. As mentioned yesterday, Redgrave comes from a distinguished British acting family, and has over her lengthy career garnered more than three score awards and film festival commendations. And yet, despite this much honored output, she remains a reluctant […]
Her parents were both successful actors, and it seemed as if she and her brother and sister should follow in their footsteps. Her children, too, have achieved a measure of success in the profession — but of all the clan, Vanessa Redgrave is the undisputed if somewhat reluctant STAR. Over a nearly 60-year career […]
The two famous women pictured today had a few things in common. They both came from Europe to make their mark in Hollywood. Although each made pictures for over a decade, each worked exclusively for one studio. One the biggest; the other, well … And which of them was embarrassed when a male star had […]
This is a never before released photo — from our exclusive Donald Gordon collection — of one of Hollywood’s most famous leading men of the 1930s and 40s. (The late Donald, a studio actor in the Forties, loved to catch up with star pals in parking lots.) Question: can you name the star pictured here? […]
Our man pictured above is none other than Edward Arnold, another great character actor from Hollywood’s Golden Age. He wasn’t always thought of as such. A 1937 poll of movie exhibitors, for example, named Arnold among other stars as “box office poison.” His compatriots in that misbegotten category included Katheraine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire […]
These two, pictured in happier times, were stars in their day. But their son’s success eclipsed theirs. Dad’s Best Movie: 1935’s A Night at the Opera. His best bit: As the tenor opposite diva Jeanette MacDonald in 1936’s Rosemarie. Mom and Dad both started at MGM and wound up at Universal. Best film together: 1940’s The Boys From […]
So did you know much about the great “character actor” of the 40s, 50s and 60s? (And despite conventional Hollywood wisdom of the time, Van Heflin in his day was a relatively good-looking dude.) Please note that we correctly use the phrase “character actor” when talking of, say, Guy Kibbee. But the description doesn’t due Heflin […]
Seldom a leading man — in fact a character actor almost from his start in movies — Van Heflin was one of the stalwart actors of Hollywood’s Golden Era. One of our 2,000 followers on Twitter is a BIG Heflin fan, and keeps bugging us to write more about the star so here goes. To […]
One of the best supporting actors of the 1930s and 40s was Guy Kibbee, a veteran performer who could be funny or deadly serious. He definitely ranks high in our “In Support” category of familiar classic movie faces — even though you may not be able to recall the names. It’s the “who IS that guy” syndrome. […]