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There he is, in the role he’s best remembered for in Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot with Jack Lemmon (seen above in drag as ‘Daphne’), Tony Curtis and, of course, Marilyn Monroe. Brown plays Osgood Fielding III, a millionaire and genial roue who takes a shine to ‘Daphne” not realizing that she is, […]
Hard to believe, but in the 1930s Joe E. Brown was not only a star, but very big box office. Did you know, for example, that he ranked among Hollywood’s top 10 box office stars in 1933 and 1936? Having said that, we are hard pressed to make a case that much of Brown’s movie […]
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Mark today’s blog for the “interesting but little-known personality” file. We’ve often discussed the relatively short heights of some of classic Hollywood’s more celebrated stars. Humphrey Bogart, for example, stood a towering five-foot-eight. George Raft measured in at five-foot-seven. And Alan Ladd, famously self-conscious about his stature, stood all of five-foot-six and change. But one good […]
We ran an article a while back saying that all Fred Astaire’s dancing partners were not as famous as Ginger Rogers. Oh yes, there were Rita Hayworth and Cyd Charisse. And Gene Kelly. We also noted a few not so famous, such as Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dare. Well, oops, we forgot to mention George Burns […]
Yup, there’s our man, Louis Calhern, benignly gazing at the then rising starlet named Marilyn Monroe. The movie was John Huston’s 1950 opus, The Asphalt Jungle. And contrary to what you might conclude by gazing at this rather bland photo, both Calhern and Monroe were terrific in their parts, imparting superb supporting performances. He portrays […]
Yes, he started in silents. He played opposite some greats, including The Marx Brothers (in 1933’s Duck Soup). He was a character actor who could be a leading man when necessary. And, he cultivated his trademark English mustache in all manner of vehicles: from modern crime dramas to Shakespeare and period fantasy. Always an authoritative […]
From silents, to talkies, to television, there were few more successful sisters in Hollywood than the trio consisting of Polly Ann, Elizabeth Jane, and Gretchen Young. Perhaps you know them better as Sally Blaine, Loretta Young, and Polly Ann Young.(as pictured below). They were in the right place at the right time, pretty young things […]
Who could forget that growly frog voice? And the jowly face. And that voluminous front porch and double chin? Kansas-born Eugene Pallette didn’t always look that way. One of the busiest character actors in classic Hollywood history, he began his movie career early in the silent era (1913 to be exact) as a handsome, athletic principal […]
Yes, you’ve seen her in dozens of films, some programmers, a few classics. Joyce Compton was one of those actresses who appeared in every type of film Hollywood had to offer in the 1930s and 1940s. After all, this Kentucky-born actress started making movies during the silent era — she was briefly engaged to actor […]