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We put John Gavin in that category, and another male “star” of the 60s and 70s also qualifies — Rod Taylor. Born in suburban Sydney in 1930, he started off his adult professional life as a commercial artist. Inspired by his viewing of a live performance by a touring Laurence Olivier as Richard III, Taylor […]
Anna Magnani — pure passion. We discussed Italian film stars earlier this month. We couldn’t end the year without discussing Italy’s most famous film export. And what’s more, she is the favorite of none other than Pope Francis, recently revealed as a classic film fan. The Pope was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in late 1936 […]
So, how much did you know about our man John Gavin? Did you realize that Gavin was just about all set to play 007 in two of the James Bond films, 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and 1973’s Live and Let Die? In both cases, his participation was scuttled at the last minute. The original Bond, […]
Top billed but never a star. Anyone who has savored the opening scenes of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho — the illicit faire l’amour in a sweaty Phoenix hotel room pairing Janet Leigh and some handsome dude — will undoubtedly remember Gavin without seeing any of his other movies. Yes, he was that handsome dude. (See the b&w studio […]
There are literally dozens of good movies to watch during the Christmas season. It’s a Wonderful Life will be shown on a TV screen near you. So will Miracle on 34th Street. Or you may want to screen one of your favorites. We thought we’d share our holiday favorites with you. For Joe it’s 1942’s […]
Does the classic 1943 film hold up? We think so, at least as an example of how secular classic Hollywood, particularly 20th Century Fox magnate Darryl F. Zanuck, approached and executed films of deep religious significance. The biopic is based on a popular 1941 novel of the same title published in German by Czech-born Franz […]
Though he’s most remembered today for his extensive television career, Richard Long started in films, and made some good ones in his short life. The Chicago-born actor started in the movies early, just out of high school. He remained busy on the big screen and on the tube until his early death of heart failure […]
Julie Andrews is world renowned for her musical appearances and her incredible four-octave singing voice. So it’s stands to reason that the bulk of her 49 film and tv credits involved musical projects, no? Well, not quite. There were many notable dramatic turns in the mix including some of the best of the seven movies […]
Let’s forget all her musicals for a moment and concentrate on her dramatic roles. Sure, Julie Andrews, born in England in 1935, remains one of the big screen’s premier musical actresses — if not the biggest such star in history. Her vaudevillian parents discovered her magical four-octave voice early. By her teenage years, Andrews was […]
From gamine, to star, to character parts. What a career Shirley MacLaine has had, and at the age of 86, continues to have. Discovered by producer Hal Wallis when she was subbing on Broadway for dancer Carol Haney in the 1954 musical The Pajama Game, Shirley was whisked out to Hollywood via a multi-year Paramount […]