JAKE WEIRD

Barbara Payton, Martha Hyer, Audrey Hepburn

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

James Cagney and Barbara Payton in the noir film "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (1950)

Helena Carter, James Cagney and Barbara Payton in "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (1950) directed by Gordon Douglas

Barbara Payton left her home of Odessa, Texas when she was seventeen to travel west searching for a Hollywood career. After scoring small roles under contract to Universal in 1949, her first major break came in 1950. Spotted by James Cagney and his brother, a producer, they signed her to Cagney's company for a starring role in the screen adaptation of Horace McCoy's "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye". Sadly this was the only major break Barbara had.

"James Cagney was coming to town for a fund drive. I always liked him because he was tough and ruthless on screen and it fitted my theory of what a man should be. I found out that admission to the auditorium was a dollar twenty-five. Not only I couldn't afford that but none of my boyfriends could either. Yet I had to see Jimmy Cagney in person. I was standing in a big crowd by the artist's entrance and a boy motioned to me. 'You're cute', he said. 'Want to see the show, kid?', he asked, 'Cagney gave my father two tickets - see?' I was cautious. I was learning. 'What do I have to do?' He bent toward me. 'A feel or two. So what? You got inside free. Best seats in the house'. 'No, thanks', I said coldly, but I was tempted." -"I Am Not Ashamed" (1963) by Barbara Payton

She appeared in a few more films until 1955, small time roles and mostly b-pictures such as "Bride of the Gorilla" (1951) and "Four Sided Triangle" (1953).

Her lover Tom Neal, with whom she reenacted "The Postman Always Rings Twice" on stage in 1953, called her "alley cat in heat". Any sexual deviancy was considered dangerous in the 1950s, so much so that a Republican Party chairman once claimed that "Sexual perverts... have infiltrated our Government in recent years," and were "perhaps as dangerous as the actual Communists."

Much post-war propaganda, fueled by fears of nuclear war and images of happy couples setting up bomb shelters, emphasized the importance of a good family – anchored by a kind, submissive, domestic woman – as the key to keeping society stable in dangerous times. Even the Kinsey Report (which revealed the dirty secrets behind white Americans’ sex lives in the late ’40s and early ’50s) would have labeled Payton’s behavior "outside the norm."

Barbara Payton & Gregory Peck in a publicity photo for "Only the Valiant" (1951) directed by Gordon Douglas

President Jack L. Warner dropped Payton from the studio and left her to wander through the professional abyss of pitiful B-movies like "Four-Sided Triangle" (1953), "Bad Blonde" (1953) and "The Great Jesse James Raid" (1953).

Actress Martha Hyer (born on August 10, 1924 in Fort Worth, Texas) was once in the running for the role of Marion Crane in Hitchcock's "Psicosis" (1960), but lost out to Janet Leigh. She was discovered by an RKO talent agent while acting with the Pasadena Playhouse.

Martha Hyer has a supporting role as Miss Harwick in Richard Fleischer's noir "The Clay Pigeon" (1949) written by Carl Foreman, based on a true story.

Martha Hyer dated Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and John F. Kennedy in the mid 50’s, and married producer Hal B. Wallis (31 December 1966 - 5 October 1986).

Martha Hyer dancing with Humphrey Bogart in "Sabrina" (1954) directed by Billy Wilder

Humphrey Bogart as Linus Larrabee and Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild in "Sabrina" (1954)

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (1961) directed by Blake Edwards

As to the affair of Gene Kelly with Doris Lilly, the gal who was rumored to be Truman Capote's inspiration for the character of Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany"'s and the author of "How to Marry a Millionaire", it is most likely true. Lilly's diaries were discovered after her death in 1991 and she wrote about her "meeting" with Gene Kelly. According to entries from 1946, they met a a party given by Frank Sinatra. "I fell for him like mad." And then she wrote: "He can never be replaced. Never. He is in a class all his own. We were together for hours. He left me at 6:30 in the morning. He was wonderful." -"Darling Lilly" (1991) by Daniel Shaw.

Déjà Vu Crush: Lana Turner with John Garfield, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth in "The Lady from Shanghai" (1947)

In noir film, déjà vu is prevalent and serves as a common trope, used as a storytelling device or to emphasize a character's blocked memory. Have you ever had the feeling that something that happens has happened at a past time? Have you had an experience that seems very familiar and felt that you've been through it before? This phenomenon called déjà vu is a French expression for 'already seen'. Psychologists and memory researchers say that it is usually life's more unnoticed detailes -the click of a radiator, the movement of some shadows on the curtains- that trigger this sudden and sometimes breathtaking sense of familiarity. In surveys, over half of population report having had at least one déjà vu experience, and the sensation seems to occur most often in persons with lively imaginations. In a series of experiments, researches at Duke University in North Carolina and Southern Methodist Univesity in Texas, have tried to reproduce this déjà vu feeling, showing students pictures of buildings, trying to locate a small black or white cross. The students were asked to say whether they had ever been to the places shown. The expectation was that while the students focused on finding the crosses, the photos would imprint on their memories unconsciously, leaving the impression that they seemed familiar to them time later.

Lana Turner must’ve had a strong feeling of déjà vu when Lora confronts her daughter about her feelings for an older man.

Johnny Stompanato and Lana Turner in 1957

Turner suffered through a similar and very public romantic triangle with mobster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato and her daughter Cheryl. The boyfriend ended up dead and a fictionalized version of the story became the Cool Cinema Trash favorite 'Where Love Has Gone' (1964). Source: www.coolcinematrash.com

John Garfield and Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) directed by Tay Garnett

Gene Kelly and John Garfield, friends, members of The Committee for the First Amendment and 'Hollywood Players' on Old Time Radio (Hollywood Stars on 'All Through the House': Gene Kelly, John Garfield - with Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten and Janet Leigh)

Lana Turner with Gene Kelly

Lana Turner and Gene Kelly in "The Three Musketeers" (1948) directed by George Sidney

Lana Turner in a polka-dot blouse dancing with Frank Sinatra (June 1946). Before Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra dated Lana Turner.

Ava Gardner and Kathryn Grayson, friends and co-star in "Magnolia" (1951) directed by George Sidney

Frank Sinatra married Ava Gardner on 7th November 1951. They got divorced on 5th July 1957.

Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) directed by George Sidney

"I have deduced that he [Gene Kelly] was warm, loving, highly intelligent, amazingly hard working, self-contained, sociable, strong, virile, charismatic, tactile, childlike, charitable, straightforward, pragmatic, unpretentious, fair, tenacious, happy in his own skin, other-worldly, unselfish, emotional, single-minded, generous, funny, honest, serious, home-loving, democratic, protective of those he cared for, self-critical, courageous in the face of personal tragedy, a man of integrity, a born leader and teacher. He was an excellent, natural, actor; a singer who, although being no Caruso, could touch the heart; a highly competent inspirational director and producer; an incomparable dancer who could weave a story without words and move an audience to tears or laughter; and a truly great choreographer. He was a creative genius and a good human being. Is it any wonder that every day, somewhere in the world, someone is still writing about, talking about, reading about, watching or falling in love with Gene Kelly? Source: www.freewebs.com

Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth in "Cover Girl" (1944) directed by Charles Vidor

"Donnie Darko" and "Zodiac" among the 50 best uses of songs in film

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:03:00 +0000

Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith in "Zodiac" (2007) directed by David Fincher

22. “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” Donovan, Zodiac (2007)
This near-primal scene starts with two young adults flirting in a Corvair at a lovers’ lane, until the headlights of a mysterious car pull up behind them. Suddenly, the song on the radio can only signify evil. By the time David Fincher returns to Donovan’s sinuous groove in his closing credits, the tune has been transformed. (A clearer clip of the scene is here.)—JR

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donald Darko in "Donnie Darko" (2001) directed by Richard Kelly

36. “Head Over Heels,” Tears for Fears, Donnie Darko (2001)
In a terrific early scene from Richard Kelly’s cult debut, Jake Gyllenhaal’s depressive, time-traveling outcast takes a long walk down his high-school hallway. Assembled into a single, unbroken take, it’s as if we’re gliding through one morning in our own angst-ridden teen existence—but with a better soundtrack.—KU Source: newyork.timeout.com

Gene Kelly ("My Love For You") video

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:33:00 +0000

Gene Kelly ("My Love For You") video featuring pictures and stills of Gene Kelly and his female co-stars: Judy Garland in 'For me and my gal', 'The Pirate' and 'Summer Stock', Deanna Durbin in 'Christmas Holiday', Kathryn Grayson in 'Thousands Cheer' and 'Anchors Aweigh', Rita Hayworth and Jinx Falkenburg in 'Cover Girl', Vera-Ellen in 'On the Town', Teresa Celli in 'Black Hand', Leslie Caron in 'An American in Paris', Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen in 'Singing in the Rain', Cyd Charisse in 'Singing in the Rain', 'Brigadoon' and 'It's Always Fair Weather', Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg in 'Les Girls', Natalie Wood in 'Marjorie Morningstar', Shirley MacLaine in 'What a Way to Go', etc.

Soundtrack: The Glenn Miller Orchestra - 'My Love For You', 'My Ideal', 'People Will Say We're In Love', and Helen Forrest & Artie Shaw Orchestra - 'Love Is Here'

Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen in the first dance noir

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly as Abigail Martin and Robert Manette in "Christmas Holiday" (1944) directed by Robert Siodmak. With script by Herman J. Mankiewicz ("Dinner at Eight", "The Pride of the Yankees", "Citizen Kane") based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel.

"Kelly’s grin here becomes the Devil’s, he comes home with blood-stained trousers and finally materializes to "straighten out the family"; Durbin first sees him at a recital of Liebestod and then performs "Always" to celebrate their union. "I guess maybe there’s another meaning to love than what I was taught," Harens says after hearing the tale. Melodic noir, and unsettling delirium -- the ripely masochistic former child-star and the stubbly, grounded dancer face each other in the shadows, and Siodmak wonders how America got to this point. (Hitchcock similarly reimagines Robert Walker in 'Strangers on a Train')." Source: www.cinepassion.org

"Starring in the role of the homme fatal and also playing against type is the master of acrobatic dance, Gene Kelly. That said, in an obvious tongue in cheek move there is a scene in which Kelly asks Durbin to dance. Precisely upon the point of arriving on the dance floor the band concludes the number and the dance never comes off". Source: www.noiroftheweek.com

Vera-Ellen and Gene Kelly in "Words and Music" (1948) directed by Norman Taurog

"Set in a sleazy New York neighborhood, Kelly's Dancer encounters the wonderful Vera-Ellen as The Blonde. The couple dance seductively, and their mutual interest seems to grow as the music changes to a breezy, cheerful melody. Together they enter a saloon that seems to be populated by the city's finest gangsters and prostitutes. The music grows jazzy...the couple is smitten with each other. Vera-Ellen is the epitome of sensuality with her short skirt and seductive manner. Gene is equally seductive in what could possibly be his sexiest outfit as he dances a very masculine "ballet" to win the girl over". Source: genescene.blogspot.com

Vera-Ellen and Gene Kelly performing in the tragic ballet "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" composed by Richard Rodgers from the 1948 movie "Words and Music".

Gene Kelly stated to several writers that he considered Vera-Ellen among the very best dancers in film. Vera-Ellen learned from Gene Kelly how to dance with deep-felt emotion. She portrays a saucy Bowery girl with a wild blonde wig, a too-tigh yellow top and a bright orange skirt slit almost too far up the side, all cinched with a thick black belt with overlange ring buckle.

As she struts in under the Tenth Avenue she attracts the attention of a local thug (played by choreographer/dancer Jack Baker) who makes a crude pass at her. Quickly we learn her interest in focused on Gene Kelly's tenement flat. Kelly, at his most muscular and athletic, rises from bed and climbs down to the street where Vera is strutting, preening and slithering around him, even rubbing herself up against a phallic pole. It is a mating call and Kelly takes the bait. Once again she moves away from him, but they finally end their teasing courtship and come together in a sensuous dance as he dips and drags her body along the street.

Vera-Ellen: This dance not only changed my career, it changed me. From Gene Kelly I learned the modern knee drops, slides, and the earthy, almost brutal, approach to rhythm. Gene and me worked ten weeks on the number and when I was through with it I was also a different person; my walk changed and I even switched from a flower-scented perfume to something called 'Shameless'. Gene really influenced my life. For my money, he's just about the greatest in the business.

Staged by Gene Kelly, the "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" number was serious, different from Ray Bolger's slaphappy dance routine. It has been termed the first "dance noir", echoing the popular film noir genre of the '40s.

Vera Ellen went on to work with Gene Kelly again in the classic 'On the Town' (1949) directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly.

Gabey (Gene Kelly) and Ivy (Vera-Ellen) discuss where they should meet in the film "On the Town":

Gabey: Top of the Empire State Building.
Ivy Smith: But it's so high up!
Gabey: Oh it won't seem high to me. I'm in the clouds right now.

At the University of Arizona, once a year, there is a Vera-Ellen day in the "Art History of the Cinema" class, right there next to Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly. TCM, American Movie Classics and the American One network with their periodic revivals of classics such as 'Words and Music', 'Three Little Words', 'White Christmas', 'Happy Go Lovely', 'The Belle of New York' and 'On the Town' have made a whole new generation ask: "Who was that amazingly talented Vera-Ellen and what happened to her? -"Vera-Ellen: The Magic and the Mystery" by David Soren (2008)

Jake Gyllenhaal eats lunch at Angelini Osteria

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Jake Gyllenhaal joined a friend for lunch at LA's Angelini Osteria restaurant on 19th January 2012.

Jake Gyllenhaal out for sushi with Adam Levine & friends in LA, on 18th January 2012

Jake's been spotted all over Hollywood in recent days following his appearance at Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony.

Gene Kelly: "Ode to Joy" & "Cosmic Dancer"

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:22:00 +0000

Gene Kelly (Ode to Joy) video featuring pictures and stills of Gene Kelly and his female co-stars: Judy Garland in 'For me and my gal', 'The Pirate' and 'Summer Stock', Deanna Durbin in 'Christmas Holiday', Kathryn Grayson in 'Thousands Cheer' and 'Anchors Aweigh', Rita Hayworth in 'Cover Girl', Vera Ellen in 'On the Town', Teresa Celli in 'Black Hand', Leslie Caron in 'An American in Paris', Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen in 'Singing in the Rain', Cyd Charisse in 'Singing in the Rain', 'Brigadoon' and 'It's Always Fair Weather', Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg in 'Les Girls', Natalie Wood in 'Marjorie Morningstar', Shirley MacLaine in 'What a Way to Go', etc.

Soundtrack: 'Ode to Joy' Symphony # 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Soundtrack: Song "Cosmic Dancer" by Marc Bolan and The Glenn Miller Orchestra: 'I Love You', 'In the Mood'

Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in a promotional still of "Brigadoon" (1954) directed by Vincente Minnelli

Lobby card featuring Ernie Kovacs and Cyd Charisse in "Five Golden Hours", 1961

Short noir film directed by Ernie Kovacs

“Anna [Karina] is an actress and who arrives in New York. She goes to see Gene Kelly and she says to him, “I am a French actress, I admire you, can’t you find me some work?”Finally it’s the discovery of America by this girl from within seven or eight great genres of the American cinema. Then Gene Kelly says, “But no, my little girl, the musical comedy is finished, the great stage at MGM no longer exists.” Then they go into the street and it becomes a little bit musical.

Then, I don’t know what, she needs money, she steals money, she meets people and it becomes a criminal episode. I would have wanted, for example, for her to get hired as a maid, or a gardener, or whatever, by Faulkner.” —Jean-Luc Godard on an unrealized project that was to star Anna Karina, Gene Kelly, and William Faulkner. The project was abandoned after Faulkner’s death on July, 6 1962.

Jake Gyllenhaal - Breakfast at Square One with Busy Phillips in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:48:00 +0000

Busy Philipps and her husband Marc Silverstein took their 3-year-old daughter Birdie out to breakfast on Saturday (January 14). Their good friend Jake Gyllenhaal also came along to eat at Los Angeles restaurant Square One. The two actors greeted each other with a hug, with Jake also stroking Birdie's hair. Source: celebritybabyscoop.com

Jake Gyllenhaal and Busy Phillips having breakfast at Square One in Los Angeles, on 14th January 2012

Jake at Golden Globes, Michelle Williams: Winner for "My Week with Marilyn"

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Jake Gyllenhaal at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards (Ceremony Rehearsals)

Jake Gyllenhaal presented the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, on 15th January 2012

Michelle Williams poses as Marilyn Monroe in Vogue Germany magazine (February 2012), photoshoot by Brigitte Lacombe

Michelle Williams won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance in "My Week with Marilyn" (2011)

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Some clips from "Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer" (2002) directed by Robert Trachtenberg

It became obvious after awhile that Gene Kelly, the natural athlete, (particularly adept at hockey and baseball) had been kissed by the goddess of dance, Terpsichore. His mother Harriet took over a failed dancing studio and her middle son quickly established himself as a natural teacher and choreographer, with a winning way with young people. Graduating at 16 while holding down several jobs, Kelly looked to university (Penn State) as his next challenge. He switched his major from journalism to economics and soon realized while helping the family weather the Depression, there might be a future for him in entertainment.

June Havoc playing Gladys and Gene Kelly playing Joey Evans in "Pal Joey" on Broadway

Kelly's big break came on Christmas night 1940 with his breakthrough role of Joey Evans, a second-rate nightclub entertainer in 1930s Chicago, in which he meets and falls in love with Linda.

Timeless, effortless, elegant and indelible as the 50th anniversary of Singin' in the Rain approaches (the film was first released on 27th March 1952 in New York City), Gene Kelly's body of work still thrives and still thrills. With films that also include 'An American in Paris', 'Summer Stock', 'On the Town' and 'Brigadoon', Kelly revived the movie musical and redefined dance on screen, bringing with him an inspired sensibility and an original vitality. He endeared himself to audiences and had a profound, eternal impact on the craft. A lasting influence in the worlds of film and dance, his first major film success came at the age of thirty and a short ten years later, he had made his final hit film.

Ironically, Kelly was put under contract at Selznick International by Mayers son-in-law David O. Selznick, who had no interest in producing musicals and thought Kelly could exist purely as a dramatic actor. With no roles forthcoming, Kelly was loaned out to MGM to co-star with Judy Garland in 'For Me and My Gal'. The film was a hit and Selznick subsequently sold the actor and his contract to MGM.

A series of mediocre roles followed and it was not until Kelly was loaned out to Columbia for 1944s 'Cover Girl', with Rita Hayworth, that he became firmly established as a star. His landmark alter ego sequence, in which he partnered with himself, brought film dance to a new level of special effects. With Stanley Donen as his assistant, Kelly created a sense of the psychological and integrated story telling never before seen in a Hollywood musical.

Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson in "Thousands Cheer" (1943) directed by George Sidney

Realizing what they had, MGM refused to ever loan him out again, ruining Kellys opportunity to star in the film versions of 'Guys and Dolls', 'Pal Joey' and even 'Sunset Boulevard'. Back with producer Arthur Freed at MGM, Kelly continued his innovative approach to material by placing himself in a cartoon environment to dance with Jerry the Mouse in 'Anchors Aweigh' (1945).

During his marriage to the actress Betsy Blair, Kelly was radicalized and the couple became well known for their liberal politics. In 1947, when the Carpenters Union went on strike and the Hollywood studios were looking for an intermediary to intervene on their behalf, Kelly was chosen much to everyone's surprise. He traveled back and forth from Culver City to union headquarters in Chicago for two months, mediating a strike that was costing the studios dearly. When a settlement was finally reached, Kelly was shocked to learn that the studios felt it was unfair and that they had been cheated by his siding with the strikers. Naively and genuinely trying to help and unaware of unstated expectations, underhanded tactics, and slush funds Kelly's efforts only resulted in further exacerbating his relationship with Louis B. Mayer.

He was, however, able to continue refining and showcasing his unique appeal with standout numbers in 'The Pirate' and 'Words and Music', among other films. Determined from the start to differentiate himself from Fred Astaire, Kelly concerned himself with incorporating less ballroom dancing and more distinctly American athleticism into his choreography.

Finally, Kelly and Stanley Donen were assigned their own film to co-direct 1949s 'On the Town'. In just five days of shooting selected sequences, they opened up the genre as no one had ever done before, creating another first a musical film shot on location. Followed by his two masterworks, 'An American in Paris', with its 17-minute ballet sequence, and 'Singin in the Rain', Kelly achieved icon status at the age of forty. In 1951, he was awarded a special Oscar for 'An American in Paris' for his “extreme versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, but specifically for his brilliant achievement in the art of choreography.”

Tony Martin visits his wife Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly on the set of "Brigadoon" (1954) directed by Vincente Minnelli

The musical era, as well as the Freed unit at MGM, wind to a close and Kelly's last productions, including 'Brigadoon' and the ambitious 'It's Always Fair Weather', failed to appeal to either critics or the public. The latter film also brought a bitter end to his partnership with Stanley Donen. The two had made history together in their three previous films the only successful directorial collaboration in Hollywood, before or since.

But professional and personal conflict lead to the breakup, including the fact that Donen's wife, Jeanne Coyne, had fallen in love with Kelly. With Kelly's own marriage to Betsy Blair in dissolution, both couples divorced and Kelly eventually married Coyne in 1960.

In the late 1950s, the television show OMNIBUS invited Kelly to create a documentary about the relationship between dance and athletics 'Dancing: A Mans Game' is considered one of the classic treasures from televisions golden age. However, the hit Kelly so badly craved and needed as director of the film 'Hello Dolly', eluded him, unable to compete in a market that now included such movies as 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'Easy Rider'.

Jeanne Coyne died of leukemia in 1973, leaving Kelly to raise their two young children alone. In his determination to be a better father than he had been to his first daughter, Kelly refused all work that would take him away from Los Angeles, including the offer to direct the film 'Cabaret' in Munich. He tried series television, guest appearances, childrens records and became a frequent advisor to younger filmmakers who were hoping to resurrect the movie musical. At his death in 1996, it was said of Kelly, he went downhill so fast you hardly saw him go.

Yet, the potency of Kellys gifts, his remarkable achievements in dance and choreography and the creativity and charisma with which he exploded in a handful of films continues to endure and to inform. Gene Kellys final filmed words are from 1994s Thats Entertainment III quoting Irving Berlin, he remarked: “The song has ended, but the melody lingers on.” And, so too has Kelly himself. He was number 15 on AFIs millennium list of most popular actors and 'Singin in the Rain' has been voted the singular most popular movie musical of all time". Source: www.pbs.org

Q: So what do you think Kelly’s appeal was?

A: You know right before I started the film, this very young woman was in my office repairing my computer and my assistant turned to her and said, “What happens when I say Gene Kelly to you?” and she instantly said, “I smile.” The guy was a movie star in the classic sense of the word — he had that X quality that you cannot define. But he actually had the talent to back up the sheer charisma. He was very frank in some of his archival interviews, his appeal really transcends and even filters down to the movie audience of today. When I was around him, he was still getting fan mail from thirteen-year old girls! Source: www.pbs.org

"I didnt want to move or act like a rich man. I wanted to dance in a pair of jeans. I wanted to dance like the man in the streets". –Gene Kelly

Jean Dujardin, Gene Kelly, John Garfield

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:01:00 +0000

Natalie Portman will present the Golden Globes Awards 2012!

Natalie Portman attending the Golden Globes on 15th January 2012

Joining Natalie in presentation duties will be Jake Gyllenhaal, Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Melissa McCarthy, Salma Hayek, and more! Be sure to tune into the Golden Globes on Sunday (January 15) on NBC! Ed Helms, Julianna Margulies and Natalie Portman will join Actor nominee Armie Hammer, SAG Awards® social network ambassador Regina King and SAG President Ken Howard as presenters at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, Executive Producer Jeff Margolis announced. Source: movies.broadwayworld.com

Bérénice Bejo and Jean Dujardin at 17th Annual Critics' Choice Awards, on 12th January 2012

"I am thrilled. I am proud. I am over the moon," Dujardin, speaking in French, told PEOPLE about his Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his role as a screen star in the silent, black-and-white pastiche about Hollywood's bumpy transition from silent movies to talkies.

Still of Jean Dujardin as George Valentin in "The Artist" (2011) directed by Michel Hazanavicius

The honors have been raining down all year. In the spring, Dujardin, 39, was named best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for 'The Artist' – a turn of events he says that he wishes never happened.

"I was thrilled, proud, and very scared," he says. "I didn't want to go to get the prize because it's not my job and because I'm very shy. It's a little irrational, because you never think of the prizes. I haven't had many. I still don't know if I really received it, in fact." Source: www.peoplestylewatch.com

"The Artist" is the winner of three Golden Globes 2012: Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Jean Dujardin, and Best Original Score - Ludovic Bource for "The Artist".

The scene in which Jean Dujardin and Missi Pyle appear saluting their audience in the beginning of "The Artist" (2011) is very similar

to that classic rapport between Gene Kelly and Jean Hagen in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly.

"While The Artist’s Jean Dujardin does not possess the same dancing abilities as Gene, he manages to capture that same charismatic presence. So, while the dancing eliminates him as “the next Gene Kelly,” it is the Kelly charm and smile that so many critics have identified when describing Jean. And I would have to agree. While Gene’s smile stands alone (in my opinion), Jean’s is awfully nice, too. The similarities I draw from between the two men stem from that twinkle in the eye that they use to captivate their audience". Source: genekellyfans.com

With the war over, CSU (Conference of Studio Unions) garnered support from many motion picture unions. The Screen Writers' Guild, for one, divided its support, with left-leaning liberals backing CSU and right-wing members taking a more neutral stance. But all the guilds, as unions, were required to respect picket lines. In short, if CSU decided to strike outside a particular studio, no union member would cross that line. Members of the Screen Actors' Guild had a more difficult time choosing sides. Still, the strikers' determination led many actors to remain at home for the duration of the negotiations. At the time of the strike John Garfield wasn't even on the Warner lot.

John Garfield and Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) directed by Tay Garnett

Garfield was in Culver City shooting 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'. But he responded to the strike action by joining the Citizens Committee for the Motion Picture Strikers, another innocuous sounding organization that supposedly had ties to the Communist Party, and drafted a petition (protesting the violence) which was sent via telegram to the Glendale chief of police, to various civic and political leaders in the Hollywood community, and to the Warner Brothers.

John Garfield was a member of the Screen Actors Guild executive board and he attempted to convince the Guild to mediate the strike. Ultimately, in 1947 the Screen Actors Guild recommended settlement through arbitration. However, by that time, most of the Hollywood guilds were against CSU and even Garfield voted against them, although as late as February 1947, he was showing sympathy for the CSU strikers. That month he participated in a benefit held at the Philharmonic Auditorium for strikers and their families.

It was staged with the help of him, Gene Kelly, Eve Arden, Harpo Marx, Keenan Wynn and others, all of whom performed in comedic and musical skits interspersed with dramatic sequences highlighting the dilemma the striking workers faced. Some of the things he petitioned for were worthy: he joined Gene Kelly and Gregory Peck in signing a petition for the American Crusade to Stop Lynching.

Among the members of The Committee for the First Amendment were John Huston, screenwriter Phillip Dunne, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly, Sterling Hayden, Marsha Hunt and John Garfield.

Gene Kelly said: "We formed The Committee for the First Amendment because we thought the people in Washington had gone too far. Everyone was being branded. If they couldn't brand you a Communist then you were called 'pink'. We formed the Committee not to protect Communism, but to support the right to free speech. There was a cloud of uncertainty hanging over this town which tarred a lot of us. People were afraid. They were losing their jobs. They had wives and kids to support. They just caved in. Even the movie moguls, who knew the blacklist was wrong, gave in."

John Garfield and his wife Robbe (1946) were among the usual guests at Gene Kelly & Betsy's parties.

Gene Kelly was married three times during his life. His first wife was Betsy Blair (December 11, 1923 – March 13, 2009). She was an aspiring actress/dancer from New Jersey who met Gene in 1940 when she was a day early for a night club audition. He was the choreographer for the show, and she was hired. They began dating, and were married in September of 1941. She was 17.

While married to Gene, Betsy was involved with various political groups, and would eventually be investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Her most famous role was in the film Marty (1955) for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA award as Best Foreign Actress. Shortly after these acclamations, however, she and Gene began living separate lives, and the couple divorced in 1957.

Gene Kelly with his first wife Betsy Blair and daughter Kerry

-"I can’t imagine an adult man not wanting marriage. Freedom is lonely... it’s sheer boredom. A little variety can’t possibly compensate for the joys of solidity, of having someone close by your side, of having children. For the joy of having a child, I’d eliminate a lot of freedom. And for a wife. A woman clips your wings a bit, but she’s worth it". –Gene Kelly, TV Radio Mirror (November 1962)

“I never wanted to be a dancer. It’s true! I wanted to be a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I got started dancing because I knew it was one way to meet girls.” -Gene Kelly

Gene Kelly was nominated in 1946 for Best Actor Oscar for "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) directed by George Sidney

Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly in "Cover Girl" (1944) directed by Charles Vidor

“I shan’t soon forget the first time I saw him, in 'Cover Girl'. When Gene did his Alter Ego number I realized that I was watching an artist. I grabbed my wife’s hand. ‘Look!’ I said. ‘Look at that!’ She maintained a loyal silence.” -Fred Astaire

“You know, somewhere in the world is the right girl for every boy. I guess I found the one for me before I even met you. I tried, but I can’t forget her.” —Gene Kelly, 'On The Town' (1949)

“Gene was one of a kind. He revolutionized dancing on film… he was a disciplinarian and a perfectionist, and I should know…” -Frank Sinatra

Classic Ladies & Noir Atmosphere

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Gloria Grahame (Queen of noir atmospheres)

Classic Ladies & Noir Atmosphere video featuring stills of Golden Hollywood actresses, actors and 1940's noir aesthetic: Audrey Totter, Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, John Garfield, Eleanor Parker, Robert Ryan, Ida Lupino, Hazel Brooks, Lana Turner, Jennifer Jones, Shelley Winters, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Humphrey Bogart, Virginia Bruce, Dick Powell, Ann Shirley, Jan Sterling, Henry Fonda, Barbara Bel-Geddes, Veronica Lake, Patricia Neal, Carole Landis, Ann Sothern, Donna Drake, Ann Savage, Anne Francis, Florence Marly, Joan Bennett, Virginia Mayo, Linda Darnell, Betty Grable, June Duprez, Hazel Court, Alida Valli, Paulette Godard, Carole Lombard, Gene Tierney, Marsha Hunt, Louise Carletti, Marlon Brando, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Gary Cooper, Anna Sten, Leslie Howard, Lilli Palmer, Burt Lancaster, Ruth Warrick, George Raft, Rosalind Russell, Joan Leslie, Joan Crawford, Ella Raines, Jeanne Cagney, Cornel Wilde, Ann Blyth, Larwence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys, Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Nancy Coleman, Dolores Moran, Marie Windsor, Mary Pickford, Kim Novak, Lauren Bacall, Claire Trevor, Kirk Douglas, Hedy Lamarr, Ava Gardner, Lizabeth Scott, Lenore Aubert, Vivien Leigh, Betty Lou Gerson, Sylvia Sidney, Sally Blane, Lee Patrick, Joy Barlow, Ann Dvorak, Dorothy Malone, Martha Vickers, Barbara Nichols, Toby Wing, Loretta Young, Una Merkel, Gloria Stuart, Mayo Methot, Joan Blondell, Priscilla Lane, Ingrid Bergman, Greer Garson, Anne Baxter, Madeleine Carroll, Joan Fontaine, Susan Hayward, Fay Wray, Mary Beth Hughes, Barbara Bates, Janis Carter, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Tallulah Bankhead, Jean Harlow, Jane Greer, Gloria Grahame, Gloria Dickson, Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne, Anita Page, Joi Lansing, Maureen O'Hara, Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers, Alan Ladd, Marion Davis, Corinne Calvet, Jean Seberg, Jean Arthur, Steve Cochran, Mamie van Doren, Joanne Woodward, Barbara Laage, Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke, Ray Milland, Sheila Bromley, Marlene Dietrich, Lynn Bari, Maria Montez, Norma Shearer, Olivia de Havilland, Simone Simon, Corine Griffith, Laraine Day, Constance Bennett, etc.

Soundtrack: "'Cause Cheap is How I Feel" by Cowboy Junkies, and Glenn Miller Orchestra: "I'm Old Fashioned", "Boogie Woogie" and "Sunrise Serenade"

Jake Gyllenhaal rejected by Minka Kelly

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Jake Gyllenhaal hops into his Audi SUV after stopping by the doctor’s office on Thursday (January 12) in Los Angeles.

Minka Kelly was chosen by Esquire magazine as the Sexiest Woman Alive 2010

The 31-year-old actor reportedly asked Minka Kelly out on a date last fall but she declined.

Why, you ask? At the time, Minka was trying to patch things up with her on-and-off boyfriend, New York Yankees slugger Derek Jeter. Source: justjared.buzznet.com

"The Artist", "Humoresque", "The Big Knife", "Sunset Boulevard", "Singing in the Rain"

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:13:00 +0000

Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller in "The Artist" (2011) directed by Michel Hazanavicius

"The Artist"´plot borrows not just from "A Star Is Born" but also "Singin' in the Rain" and several other Hollywood classics.

"The Artist" is a delightful and unique experience because it cares about things most movies no longer do. "The Artist" is a terrific showcase for Dujardin not only because the lack of dialogue gives his expressive face a workout but also because the film goes out with an exhilarating 1930s-appropriate finale" Source: www.twincities.com

John Garfield and Joan Crawford in "Humoresque" (1946) directed by Jean Negulesco

"Humoresque" is a remake of the 1920 film of the same name. The original title of this 1946 version was, "Rhapsody In Blue."

In the suds-drenched ''Humoresque'' whose walk-into-the-sea ending wrings a twist on ''A Star Is Born'', John Garfield is a self-absorbed genius violinist involved with Joan Crawford, playing an unhappily married alcoholic society woman. The lather reaches a mountainous peak in the scene where Crawford's Minnie Mouse eyes brim with tears as she listens to a radio performance of Wagner's ''Liebestod'' alone in her lavish beach house, and drinks herself into a suicidal mood. Source: www.nytimes.com

Janet Gaynor and Fredric March in "A Star is Born" (1937) directed by William A. Wellman

Judy Garland and James Mason in "A Star Is Born" (1954) directed by George Cukor

Jack Palance and Ida Lupino in "The Big Knife" (1955) directed by Robert Aldrich

"Hollywood, the mythical land of dreams. Though it's often glamorized on the screen, occasionally an industry insider dares to bite the hand that feeds him by showing us the flip side of fame and fortune in tinseltown; 'What Price Hollywood?' (1932), both versions of 'A Star is Born' (1937 & 1954), 'The Bad and the Beautiful' (1952) and 'The Player' (1992) are just a few examples. Yet, none of these films can match the negative depiction of the movie business and its power brokers offered in 'The Big Knife' (1955), directed by Robert Aldrich and based on Clifford Odets' 1949 Broadway play.

On the Broadway stage, John Garfield played Charlie Castle, which was ironic considering that Odets modeled his protagonist on Garfield. For the film version, Aldrich wanted Burt Lancaster for the lead role but when he declined the offer, the part went to Jack Palance.

Jack Palance and Shelley Winters in "The Big Knife" (1955)

Shelley Winters: "The Big Knife was my personal salute to the angry and gifted, great, sad and sweet John Garfield. It was also my personal tribute to my many friends who had been so brave, facing that truly un-American HUAC Committee."

It was actually the casting of Palance, however, that Aldrich identified as the major flaw. Most viewers refused to accept him as "a guy who could or could not decide to take $5,000 per week. We failed to communicate to the mass audience... that it was not primarily a monetary problem; it was a problem of internal integrity." Source: www.tcm.com

William Holden and Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) directed by Billy Wilder

In 1949 Hollywood, down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) tries to hustle up some work at Paramount Studios. He meets with a producer who shoots down his proposed script as well as a request for a loan to bring his car payments up to date.

“Fame was thrilling only until it became grueling. Money was fun only until you ran out of things to buy.” —Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard

“You see, this is my life. It always will be. There’s nothing else. Just us and the cameras. And those wonderful people out there in the dark.” -Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond

Who better to play a once glamorous and popular silent screen actress than a real former silent screen actress than Gloria Swanson? Gloria Swanson was hugely popular in the 1920s staring in many silent films. Her life was splashed all over magazines with millions of adoring fans. By the time sound came her career ground to a slow halt. She made some sound movies in the 1930s such as 'Tonight or Never' but she accepted the end of her major career. Apparently Norma Shearer, Mae West, Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, and Greta Garbo were considered and asked to play the part of Norma Desmond.

Gloria Swanson is so perfectly eccentric and wonderful that to imagine someone like Norma Shearer (who would have been awful) or Mae West would not have made as much of an impact. Gloria Swanson just had what it took to play an old star who was stuck in the past.

There is no movie musical more fun than "Singin' in the Rain,'' and few that remain as fresh over the years. Its originality is all the more startling if you reflect that only one of its songs was written new for the film, that the producers plundered MGM's storage vaults for sets and props, and that the movie was originally ranked below "An American in Paris", which won a best picture Oscar.

The verdict of the years knows better than Oscar: "Singin' in the Rain" is a transcendent experience, and no one who loves movies can afford to miss it. One of this movie's pleasures is that it's really about something. Of course it's about romance, as most musicals are, but it's also about the film industry in a period of dangerous transition. The movie simplifies the changeover from silents to talkies, but doesn't falsify it. Yes, cameras were housed in soundproof booths, and microphones were hidden almost in plain view. Source: rogerebert.suntimes.com

"And there’s that fade-out kiss between 40-year-old Kelly and 19-year-old newcomer Debbie Reynolds beneath a movie billboard. The kiss that many moviegoers saw but few know about. The one that Kelly put extra effort into.

The French kiss was such a shocker to Reynolds that she had to leave the set to gain her composure. “Filming was held up for about an hour while I drank Coca-Cola and gargled,” Reynolds says. She was eventually persuaded to return and reshoot the scene. This time around, an embarrassed Kelly promised that it would be a “simple kiss.” “I don’t know why he wasn’t aware that I had never had a French kiss. I was such a young girl. I was really upset". Source: articles.orlandosentinel.com

"Debbie Reynolds was 17 when she made 'Singing in the Rain'. In many ways, she says, she was surprised as much as anyone by her own stardom.

She was smaller and lacking in sex appeal compared with the Lana Turners and the Lauren Bacalls, the icons of the era who became her close friends. She had never danced before 'Singing in the Rain', and she had never kissed, either.

“I was taking ballet and acting,” she recalled. “I had no interest in boys, and I certainly didn’t want to be taking a class in kissing.” She says that if you take a look at the last scene of the film, you’ll see a mightily annoyed Gene Kelly giving her the tiniest of unromantic, closed-mouth smooches at what should have been the happy triumph of a couple over all manner of Hollywood adversity". Source: businessghost.com

Jake Gyllenhaal spotted by Twitterers slurping at the farmers' market

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:20:00 +0000

"A bearded Jake Gyllenhaal, hiding behind some sunglasses, was spotted by various Twitterers Saturday slurping up a bowl of miso ramen from Hapa Ramen at the Ferry Plaza farmers' market. No word on whether he was in town at Alice's behest, or what". [Twitter via Tablehopper] Source: sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com

"Sean Murphy has been promoted to director of development at John Lesher's Le Grisbi Prods. Murphy, who came to Le Grisbi in 2010 after working as an assistant at UTA, will develop movies as well as service the company's first-look deal for original series at HBO.

Le Grisbi is in post-production on David Ayer's "End of Watch," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, and America Ferrera. Lesher has set up two projects at Warner Bros.: "Cicero," with David Yates attached to direct and Tom Hardy to star; and "Satori," written by Shane Salerno and Don Winslow for Leonardo DiCaprio to star. He's also producing Guillaume Canet's "Blood Ties." Source: www.variety.com

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, co-stars in "Source Code"

"When Nicole Kidman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman take the stage for the Hollywood Foreign Press' Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 15, many eyes will be on what they are wearing, and most will look out for the crazy moments that make awards shows a highlight of the winter months — and the perfect excuse to throw a party. If you haven't already, send out e-invitations that look like e-tickets — "Admit One: 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Then roll out the red carpet down your front hall. As it's sure to be a star-studded night, lots of gold, silver, and sparkles will ensure that the environment matches those in attendance". Source: www.thedailymeal.com

Jake Gyllenhaal and Selma Blair at Movieline Young Hollywood Awards on 5th May, 2002 in Hollywood, CA

Anne Shirley and John Garfield in "Saturday's Children" (1940) by Vincent Sherman

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:04:00 +0000

Anne Shirley and John Garfield in "Saturday's Children" (1940) directed by Vincent Sherman, screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein.

"Saturday's Children", Warner's latest remake of the Pulitzer Prize winning author Maxwell Anderson's play of the '20s, still is good as human drama with comedy sidelights. Basic plot varies from Anderson's play, but still retains essential ingredients of youthful romance and young couple's tour through financial straits and marital difficulties which sends them to the verge of separation.

John Garfield delivers impressively as Rims Rosson. Anne Shirley is excellent as Bobby Halevy, the romantic girl and wife. This is the role, originally assigned to Jane Bryant, who reneged and retired when married, which was responsible for contract suspension of Olivia de Havilland by Warners on refusal to assume it, and resulted in an undisclosed newcomer being replaced by Shirley after an unsatisfactory two reels were shot. Claude Rains is strong in the support as girl's plodding and sympathetically understanding father.

Story tells romance of Garfield and Shirley, with latter forcing the marriage proposal on eve of his departure for a big opportunity in the Philippines. Script by the Epstein brothers develops story at a fast pace. -Extract of a review from 1940. Source: stage.variety.com

Great clip of Anne Shirley and John Garfield as young lovers in the movie "Saturday's Children".

Jake Gyllenhaal will present the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:14:00 +0000

The countdown is on to the first huge awards show of the season -- only 6 days until the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards!

Hottie Jake Gyllenhaal will take the stage to hand out a trophy, as will last year’s Best Actress in a Drama winner Natalie Portman (though much less pregnant than the last time she hit the Beverly Hilton stage). Also making an appearance is one of our biggest Globe nominee snubs of the year -- the hilarious Melissa McCarthy will be on hand to dole out an award.

You can also expect a big international presence in the presenter pool, with Nicole Kidman, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Clive Owen and “Immortals” stunner Freida Pinto all slated to dish out trophies.

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards air Sunday on NBC. Source: www.toofab.com

New (old) outtakes with Jake Gyllenhaal in Rolling Stone (Italy) magazine, February 2006

EXCLUSIVE: Not long after leaving his longtime manager, actor Jake Gyllenhaal has left his longtime agency. He grew up, so to speak, at CAA as one of Kim Hodgert’s first clients. I’m assured his departure is not because of anything she has done. “He needed to make a change after 15 years. He has enormous respect for CAA.” He will now be repped by WME’s Patrick Whitesell. Source: www.deadline.com

Kim Novak vs 'The Artist', Film Industry & Technology Progress, Optimization

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Still of Bérénice Bejo and Jean Dujardin in "The Artist" (2011) directed by Michel Hazanavicius

"Kim Novak has gone public, with a press release and a trade ad, to express her ire over The Artist‘s use of Bernard Hermann’s music from 'Vertigo' as backdrop for the silent film. I just spoke with Novak’s longtime manager Sue Cameron, and she told me that the actress is an Oscar voter.

“She was sitting in her living room, she put the DVD in, and then went into an absolute state of shock and devastation,” Cameron said. “When you sit in a theater and familiar music comes on that engenders ready made emotion from a past film, and they use that music to evoke those same emotions, it’s quite hurtful. We know that they had the legal right to use the music, but it’s the music that was the backdrop for classic scenes, like Kim and Jimmy Stewart kissing by the tree, driving along the coast in the car. She is very, very upset.”

Kim Novak in "Vertigo" (1958) directed by Alfred Hitchcock

One looming question is whether Novak has jeopardized her status as a voter, and violated the rules by publicly maligning a movie that is a frontrunner for Best Picture. I will provide updates as I get some clarity, and reaction from The Weinstein Company, which released The Artist. Here is Novak’s reaction, in her own words: “I want to report a rape,” said Kim Novak, the legendary star of “Vertigo,” “Picnic,” and many other revered classics. “My body of work has been violated by ‘The Artist.’

This film took the Love Theme music from “Vertigo” and used the emotions it engenders as its own. Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart can’t speak for themselves, but I can. It was our work that unconsciously or consciously evoked the memories and feelings to the audience that were used for the climax of ‘The Artist.’”

Novak went on to say that “The Artist” could and should have been able to stand on its own. “There was no reason for them to depend on Bernard Herrmann’s score from ‘Vertigo’ to provide more drama. ‘Vertigo’s’ music was written during the filming.

Hitchcock wanted the theme woven musically in the puzzle pieces of the storyline. Even though they did given Bernard Herrmann a small credit at the end, I believe this kind of filmmaking trick to be cheating. Shame on them!” Source: www.deadline.com

The Movie Industry and Technology Progress:

The music and movie business has been consistently wrong in its claims that new platforms and channels would be the end of its businesses. In each case, the new technology produced a new market far larger than the impact it had on the existing market.

1920’s – the record business complained about radio. The argument was because radio is free, you can’t compete with free. No one was ever going to buy music again.

1940’s – movie studios had to divest their distribution channel – they owned over 50% of the movie theaters in the U.S. “It’s all over,” complained the studios. In fact, the number of screens went from 17,000 in 1948 to 38,000 today.

1950’s – broadcast television was free; the threat was cable television. Studios argued that their free TV content couldn’t compete with paid.

1970’s – Video Cassette Recorders (VCR’s) were going to be the end of the movie business. The movie businesses and its lobbying arm MPAA fought it with “end of the world” hyperbole. The reality? After the VCR was introduced, studio revenues took off like a rocket. With a new channel of distribution, home movie rentals surpassed movie theater tickets.

1998 – the MPAA got congress to pass the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), making it illegal for you to make a digital copy of a DVD that you actually purchased.

2000 – Digital Video Recorders (DVR) like TiVo allowing consumer to skip commercials was going to be the end of the TV business. DVR’s reignite interest in TV.

2006 - broadcasters sued Cablevision (and lost) to prevent the launch of a cloud-based DVR to its customers.

Today it’s the Internet that’s going to put the studios out of business. Sound familiar? Source: steveblank.com

If you look for some critical e-marketing tools in order to enhance your website there are numerous tools available, mainly SEO services: Search Engine Optimization that help your site or business be popular and perceptible in the Internet, endowing with several strategies to improve your site's good ranking and increasing its traffic.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a web page in search engines via "algorithmic" search results. Optimizing a website may involve editing its content and HTML. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive. With the growth in popularity of social media sites and blogs the leading engines made changes to their algorithms to allow fresh content to rank quickly within the search results.

Flowing Gold scenes starring John Garfield & Frances Farmer

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Flowing Gold (1940) scenes starring John Garfield & Frances Farmer

John Garfield: liberal causes, happiness inside

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:12:00 +0000

"I am a fugitive. I am hunted by ruthless men! I am shunned by decent women! I am doomed to hide forever!" -Tagline of "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939) directed by Busby Berkeley

Having completed his two first films for Warner Bros., John Garfield returned to New York early in September. He wasn't yet a household name, but journalist Frederick James Smith was interested in interviewing him. Time magazine, in its review of 'They Made Me a Criminal', described Garfield as "outspoken... and an amateur left wing politician."

John Garfield as Johnnie Bradfield, aka Jack Dorney in "They Made Me a Criminal" (1939)

"I'm scared of the way they build you up in Hollywood, force you, hothouse you", Garfield told Smith. "It's too easy to go soft and lose your identity. I want my happiness inside. There [in Hollywood] everyone seems to be a success with plenty of money to spend. Here [New York] actors are constantly struggling. I think that is necessary, for when an actor doesn't face a conflict he loses confidence in himself. I always want to struggle, because I believe it will help me accomplish more."

Garfield just didn't think he was that good. And then 'Four Daughters' was released. The success of the film may be difficult to understand today. It's an old-fashioned homage to middle America, but in its time it was a blockbuster, for audiences hoping to escape the sound of war in Europe were easily seduced by the story line, which reaffirmed faith in the family unit.

Priscilla Lane and John Garfield as the doomed couple in "Four Daughters" (1938) directed by Michael Curtiz

It's unlikely that the film would have been anything other than a mild success had it not been for John Garfield's participation. Ring Lardner Jr., then a fledgling screenwriter with Warner Bros., recalled the impact of Garfield's screen debut as Mickey Borden: "I already knew him from the making of the picture, but I remember when I first saw the film, that I was absolutely startled by the effect of that character coming on the screen and taking over. I didn't realize he had that power, that magnetism."

John Garfield and Rosemary Lane in "Blackwell's Island" (1939) directed by William C. McGann

Jack Warner assured that from now on, John Garfield would receive nothing less than star billing in A productions. But there was still a B film, 'Blackwell´s Island', waiting to be released. Warner Bros. quickly turned it into an A, or at least a B+, invested another $10,000 and hired Michael Curtiz to reshoot some scenes. What effect Curtiz had on the finished product is impossible to judge, but the film is a reasonably exciting crime drama, and Garfield appears to be having a ball. The critics were kind and the public was satisfied.

The commercial success of this minor film affirmed Warner's hunch that John Garfield was star material.

John Garfield as in WB "Castle on the Hudson" (1940) directed by Anatole Litvak

"Hollywood was a liberal community then", screenwriter Paul Jarrico explained. "The writers, the directors, and to a lesser degree the actors were largely left of center." Hollywood wanted to present itself as a community that cared, and for Garfield, who had worked his way up quickly from uneducated street waif to equally uneducated movie star, it was important to maintain a connection to his roots. He appeared sincere in his efforts to help those less fortunate than himself. Actress Betsy Blair (then the wife of Gene Kelly) recalled Garfield as always being one to financially support liberal causes.

Danny Kaye, Groucho Marx and John Garfield

Hilda Wane had been Danny Kaye's secretary, and the Garfields hired her on as a combination secretary/nurse.
"Before HUAC reopened shop in the second round of hearings in 1951, they sent a representative to Hollywood," Julie [John Garfield's daughter] explained: "This representative met with all the heads of the film studios, and he said, 'We're going after Danny Kaye, Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield. Give us just one of them and we'll leave you alone.' And the studio heads said, "Take Garfield. He's expendable."

Danny Kaye and John Garfield signing autographs for the troops at the Hollywood Canteen

Whether the studio heads actually needed to acquiesce in order for the government to build a case against Garfield is debatable. Still, HUAC never netted as big a prize as Garfield, in terms of witnesses. He was without doubt the only major movie star of the period to be blacklisted. -"He Ran All The Way: The Life of John Garfield" by Robert Nott

John Garfield and Lana Turner as Frank and Cora in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) directed by Tay Garnett

"A big one raised us up, and she put her hand to her breasts, to show how it lifted them. Cora: "I love it. Are they big, Frank?" Frank: "I'll tell you tonight." Cora: "They feel big. I didn't tell you about that. It's not only knowing you're going to make another life. It's what it does to you. My breasts feel so big, and I want you to kiss them. Pretty soon my belly is going to get big, and I'll love that, and want everybody to see it. It's life".

I was all ready to start out with her again clean, and do like she said, have a new life. When I came up she was coughing. -"Just one of those sick spells, like you have." -"Did you swallow any water?" -"No." We went a little way, and then she stopped. -"Frank, I feel funny inside."

-"Here, hold on to me." -"Oh, Frank. Maybe I strained myself, just then. Trying to keep my head up. So I wouldn't gulp down the salt water." -"Take it easy." -"Wouldn't that be awful? I've heard of women that had a miscarriage. From straining theirself." -"Don't try to swim. I'll tow you in." I could have towed her a mile, but I kept thinking I had to get her to a hospital, and I hurried. When you hurry in the water you're sunk. I got bottom, though, after a while, and then I took her in my arms and rushed her through the surf. My legs were so tired I could hardly lift one after the other, but I didn't drop her. I put her in the car, started up, and began burning the road. [...] Horns were blowing, and people were jumping out of cars and running to her. I got her up, and tried to stop the blood and in between I was talking to her, and crying, and kissing her. Those kisses never reached her. She was dead". -"The Postman Always Rings Twice" novel by James M. Cain

John Garfield with Frances Farmer, Lana Turner, Jennifer Jones, Shelley Winters

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

John Garfield as John Alexander - aka Johnny Blake - in drama "Flowing Gold" (1940) directed by Alfred E. Green

Frances Farmer & John Garfield in "Flowing Gold" (1940)

John Garfield pulled strings to get Frances Farmer cast as his leading lady in "Flowing Gold" (1940). Both actors would eventually be destroyed by Hollywood's ignorance.

Promotional still of John Garfield in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) directed by Tay Garnett

John Garfield and Lana Turner in Laguna Beach, filming "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946)

Cecil Kellaway, John Garfield and Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946)

"I could never belong to only one man -- I belong to all men," says Lana Turner in 'The Prodigal'.

Lana never lets you (or herself) forget that she is the ultimate sex goddess -- but in 'Postman', at least, she rarely forgets that she's playing a character and not herself. It is perhaps her finest work -- from a body of work that includes very few truly stellar performances.

'Postman', which predates all that, is a stunner -- a cruel and desperate and gritty James Cain vehicle that sorely tests Lana's skills.

But she succeeds marvelously, and from the first glimpse of her standing in the doorway in her white fuck-me pumps, as the camera travels up her tanned legs, she becomes a character so enticingly beautiful and insidiously evil that the audience is riveted. It is a noir tale of lust, betrayal, and murder that, along with 'Mildred Pierce' and 'Double Indemnity', remains one of the few truly important women's roles in film noir.

Turner wears white, head-to-toe, throughout the film -- hot, stark, tawdry white -- and is anything but virginal. But it is a nice counterpoint to the double-crossing and noir feel. Cora is a dame who wants out, but killing her husband (Kellaway) was never really part of her plan. Then along comes Frank (Garfield), a drifter with itchy feet who beats Cora at her own game of seduction and manipulation. 'Postman' is a stunning achievement that will live forever. Source: www.austinchronicle.com

Now that their relationship is poisoned with distrust and they are turned against each other, Cora wants to be rid of Frank: "Well, goodbye, Mr. Yellow. I don't know what you're going to do and I don't care. But I'm going in and open up my lunchroom." Cora wants to be respectable and well off, rather than on the road and wandering away with Frank. He is permitted to stay, although the two lovers are very divided:

Frank: Cora, Cora, look. Maybe, maybe you could sell the place and we can go away somewhere and start fresh, where nobody knows us.

Cora: Oh, no! You've been trying to make a tramp out of me ever since you've known me. But you're not going to do it. I stay here.
Frank: All right. I'm gonna stay too.
Cora: Well, let me tell you something. If you do stay, there's gonna be a lot of hard work done around here because I've got ideas for this place.

John Garfield posing on the set of 'Force of Evil' (directed by Abraham Polonsky), on 11th June, 1948 in New York City.

John Garfield and Jennifer Jones in "We Were Strangers" (1949) directed by John Huston

Jennifer Jones declared: "It's such a pleasure to play with John Garfield. He is a powerful actor and one feels his security in a scene".

Jennifer Jones played Emma Bovary in "Madame Bovary" (1949) directed by Vincente Minnelli. The film was a project of the MGM studios and Lana Turner was set to star, but when pregnancy and the Breen office forced her to withdraw, Jennifer Jones stepped into the title role. The story of the adulterous wife who destroys the lives of many presented censorship issues with the Production Code. A plot device which structured the story around author Gustave Flaubert's obscenity trial was developed to placate the censors.

Jennifer Jones joins the rebels for revenge but falls for the terse passion of the mastermind (John Garfield), her house becomes the group's hideout as they dig a tunnel under the Havana Cemetery and towards the dictator. Dynamite is concealed in conga drums, Gilbert Roland ("something of a poet") grabs a pickaxe and delivers the first blow on a rocky side, "this is for the President" .

Huston's overt sympathy for sedition might be a jibe at the McCarthyism just around the corner, and his filmmaking is up to the task -- the stark claustrophobia of the compositions (a bedrock for Le Trou, The Great Escape, Kanal) is continuously goosed by an urgent surrealism out of Buñuel's Mexican period, as in the moment when the heroine, roused by nightmares, descends into the tunnel as if into a tomb and is startled by Garfield's face covered in red dust. Jones with a machine-gun in hand anticipates Mao's ode to female warriors ("Spirited and attractive, with a five feet rifle...") Source: www.cinepassion.org

John Garfield and Shelley Winters during the filming of a bedroom scene on the set of 'He Ran All the Way' (January 1951) directed by John Berry.

"He Ran All The Way" (1951) directed by John Berry - Ending Scene: When Nick (John Garfield) discovers that he killed the cop, he decides to use Peggy's apartment as hideout to wait the police manhunt cool down, forcing the family to lodge him. When Nick finds that Peggy (Shelley Winters) loves him, he invites her to leave the town with him and asks her to buy a used runaway car. However, the paranoid Nick cannot trust anybody and believes Peggy has betrayed him.

‎"Must I tell the story of my life again?" -John Garfield

Jake Gyllenhaal shows off his beard while out for sushi lunch in Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Jake Gyllenhaal out for lunch with friends in Hollywood, on 4th January 2012

Jake Gyllenhaal showing off his 'Lumberjack Look' while lunching with friends in Hollywood. Gyllenhaal is beard-ly recognizable with his new scruffy look. The actor was spotted in grabbing sushi with some friends.

Happy New Year 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:20:00 +0000

New additions of Jake Gyllenhaal attending 'Love & Other Drugs' Press Conference in New York City

Jake Gyllenhaal out for coffee with Friends in Venice, CA on 1st January 2012

What Are You Doing New Years Eve? by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:39:00 +0000

"She & Him" with M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel

Still of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "50/50" directed by Jonathan Levine

I have known Joe Gordon-Levitt for going on 12 years. We first met in the summer of 2000 while doing a tiny movie called Manic, where we bonded over a mutual appreciation for Harry Nilsson and Nina Simone and I have been lucky enough to call him one of my dearest friends ever since. When we did 500 Days of Summer 8 years later, we spent every lunch hour dancing to Marvin Gaye in the hair and make up trailer; we had loads of fun. I hope to do a thousand more movies with him because he's simply the best. But in the meantime, we made a little New Year's duet for all of you! The original by Nancy Wilson. ENJOY!

Marilyn Monroe's Daily Diet, Weight loss plan

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:51:00 +0000

"At twelve I looked like a girl of seventeen. My body was developed and shapely. But no one knew this but me. I still wore the blue dress and the blouse the orphanage provided. They made me look like an overgrown lummox". -Marilyn Monroe

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn (2011) by Simon Curtis

"I could play her for the rest of my life" -Michelle Williams about playing Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe eating a dessert

“Fragments” dates the recipe to 1955 or 1956, when Marilyn lived in an apartment at 2 Sutton Place. We conjured up images of her prowling the aisles at D’Agostino’s on First Avenue in a crepe dress and heels (this is the era of “The Seven Year Itch”), and followed along as she purchased a loaf of bread, the ground round and all those jars of dried herbs. Our only true departure — to blend sage, marjoram, ground ginger and nutmeg in place of the commercial poultry seasoning she used — was informed by what typically goes into such products.

Marilyn Monroe’s Daily Diet: The revelation of an elaborate stuffing recipe in the icon's own hand has led to speculation that perhaps Marilyn was, in fact, a domestic goddess.

From a late shopping list, we know her diet was wholesome and that she cooked for herself — if simply. Clearly, she liked to eat proper meals. Even her weight-loss plan was not insubstantial. All we can know for certain is that 1950s dieters ate well: and the sight of that menu today would send any contemporary Hollywood star to sprint from the room shrieking in horror. Source: www.nytimes.com

Joan Crawford eating a dessert

Marilyn Monroe recorded her private thoughts and gave the tape to her psychiatrist Ralph Greenson in 1962. A one-night stand with diva Joan Crawford led to ruffled feathers: "Next time I saw Crawford, she wanted another round. I told her straight out I didn't much enjoy doing it with a woman. After I turned her down, she became spiteful." Source: www.people.com

When cowboy Beau and his friend Virgil take the bus from Montana to Phoenix, Arizona, to participate in the rodeo, Beau is also hoping to find his "angel." There, Beau falls in love with cafe singer "hillbilly" Chérie (Marily Monroe) performing "That Old Black Magic" and plans to take her back to Montana. The next day, he intends to marry her after the rodeo, but she escapes. She wants to go Hollywood, where she hopes to be discovered. But Beau tracks her down, and forces her on the bus back to Montana. On the way, they stop at Grace's Diner.

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