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Joe has just returned from a trip to the South Pacific, and one of the sites he visited was American Samoa, a U.S. territory covering seven islands and atolls. Pago Pago, the capitol city, is the setting for the Somerset Maugham’s short story “Miss Thompson” — later adapted into a play and several movies. The […]
He was a great singer for sure. But was Bing Crosby gifted as an actor? We say — YES. In at least two films Crosby showed his genuine dramatic chops as an actor, Little Boy Lost and The Country Girl. These titles tend to get lost when considering the glittering Crosby legacy. In general, Crosby is underappreciated today by younger […]
Take a look at the tough femme fatale picture above. The actress who plays her went by just one name — Belita — and she was, to employ the overused expression, multi-talented. She was an actress, yes, and a former ballerina. But the former Maria Belita Gladys Olive Lyne Jepson-Turner was principally renowned for her figure […]
Again, we ask, the most beautiful actress classic Hollywood ever produced? The best actress? Ava Gardner was so good looking that audiences often didn’t care how good a performer she was or wasn’t. Just being there, up on the big screen, was more than enough. For the record, Gardner, a country tomboy from rural North Carolina, […]
The most beautiful actress classic Hollywood ever produced? The best actress? We’ve written a lot about Ava Gardner in other blogs, and generally take the position of yes to the first but not necessarily to the second. Gardner was excessively insecure about her acting abilities, but she needn’t have been. She was so good looking that audiences […]
Can you immediately identify the star of the 1930s and 1940s who is posing with Donald Gordon in this candid snapshot? (Yes, the guy in the center between a youthful looking Donald on the left and that spiffy period sedan on the right.) If you came to the conclusion that he is Preston Foster, you would […]
She is still regarded as the top tap dancer ever. She was a superstar at MGM. And yet, she is overlooked by too many classic movie fans. We’ll try to make amends by running this private photograph (below) of Powell with our pal, Donald Gordon, from The Donald Gordon Collection. Now then, we declare what we […]
As we’ve noted before, all our exclusive photos are from the Donald Gordon Collection. But other friends generously have submitted pictures from their personal collections. Here’s one. The above snapshot of screen legend Marlene Dietrich was taken at Los Angeles’ Union Station as Marlene was leaving on a tour to sell War Bonds. It was donated […]
Before we get to our quiz, some things you should know about Anthony Perkins. He made his first movie — 1953’s The Actress, a George Cukor/MGM effort starring Spencer Tracy and Jean Simmons — while still a transfer student at Columbia University. He was considered by director Elia Kazan for the role in East of […]
Forget Psycho. If you can. He made other movies too, you know. But who was the real Anthony Perkins? Who indeed? Both professionally and personally Perkins spent a fare amount of time grappling with his identity. Was he serious actor with an intense, cerebral commitment to his craft or the perpetually gawky former New England […]