Goldie Hawn's Later Career.

Goldie Hawn's career slowed down after leaving Hollywood in the late 1980s, but began a comeback with the action/comedy, Bird on a Wire(1990), with Mel Gibson, who plays a FBI informant, who has kept his new identity secret for 15 years, now an old flame has found him, while some thugs are out to kill him..

Hawn's next successful performances were in the films:

Deceived(1991). Thriller starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard. The film begins with Adrienne Sauders, happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack. A friend tells her that she saw Jack in town, when he told her that he was on a business trip. Adrienne, confronts him, but he denies being in town. Soon after, a museum curator is murdered and a treasure that Jack bought for the museum is proved to be a fake. All evidence points to Jack and her world turns upside down, when police tell Adrienne that Jack was killed in a car accident. Adrienne, soon learns that her husband was not who he claimed to be and now she and her daughter lives are in danger.

I loved how the camera caught pieces of the truth slowly building on the suspense. The score works perfectly with the plot. This is one of those films that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Video: First of 7.



Criss Cross (1992). A feature film directed by Chris Menges, based on the novel by Scott Sommer. Cast: Goldie Hawn, Arliss Howard, Keith Carradine, Steve Buscemi, and David Arnott.

Single mom Tracy Cross, lives with her 12-year-old son Christopher in, Key West, working as a waitress. She becomes a stripper to support her family which upsets Chris. A man from a local restaurant is involved in a drug-smuggling ring and Chris goes to work for him to earn enough money so his mother can quit stripping.

Joe, a undercover agent, working to bring down the drug ring, strikes up a friendship with Tracy and her son, which complicates his job.

Next, Goldie, received much attention for her role opposite Bruce Willis and Meryl Streep in the 1992 film, Death Becomes Her. A dark/slapstick/screwball comedy/fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film focuses on a pair of rivals who drink a magic potion that promises eternal youth.

When, they both are killed in their fight over a mortician, the potion revives them as the undead and they are forced to maintain their deteriorating bodies forever. Death Becomes Her won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Goldie Hawn's, performance was very unique, especially in the beginning when Goldie plays a overweight cat lady.. OMG!!

Video; Behind the scenes.

Earlier that year, she starred in the film, House Sitter (1992), a screwball/comedy with Steve Martin. Directed by Frank Oz. The story is about a con-artist, who worms her way into the life of a architect by claiming to be his wife.

The teaming of Martin and Hawn, turned out to be a hilarious combination. The tricky situations she gets Martin and herself in, are really funny.

Hawn, took a break when she cared of her mother for four years, while she was battling cancer, she lost her fight in 1994. Hawn, made her come back as producer of the comedy, Something to Talk About, starring Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid, as well as making her directorial debut in the television film, Hope (1997) starring Christine Lahti and Jena Malone.

Hawn returned to the screen in 1996 as the aging, alcoholic actress Elise Elliot in the great comedy, The First Wives Club. Having Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton together, for a film that sure to be wonderfully entertaining. The film is about, how three women get even with their ex-husbands. Another reason to watch, The First Wives Club, is the amazing supporting cast: Maggie Smith and Sarah Jessica Parker, Stephen Collins and Stockard Channing.

Goldie reunited with Steve Martin for the comedy, The Out-of-Towners (1999), a remake of the 1970 Neil Simon hit. Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin play a husband and wife of 27 years who's last child, is sent off to Europe and then they head off from Ohio to New York.

In 2001, Hawn was reunited with former co-stars Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton for the romantic/comedy, Town and Country. Directed by Peter Chelsom. Beatty plays New York City architect Porter Stoddard, with Keaton as his wife and Hawn and Shandling as their best friends.

As of 2011, her last film performance was in the film, The Banger Sisters (2002), with Susan Sarandon and Geoffrey Rush. The story begins when Suzette is fired from her job as bartender, she then decides, to travel to Phoenix, Arizona to see her old best friend, Vinnie. Stranded, at a service station, she picks up Harry Plummer, a neurotic author, who is also on his way to Phoenix.

Suzette, has a chance meeting with Vinnie's daughter Hannah, who after some recreational drug use, passes out in Harry's hotel room. When she drives her back to her parents home... She finds Vinnie, now leading the life of the perfect wife and mother.

Suzette, brings back all those "wild memories" for Lavinia and she decides to relive the old days by going dancing with Suzette.

This is a fun and sexy chick flick for a more mature audiences, with a message about being true to yourself.

Hawn announced in an interview with AARP's magazine that her next film project would be called, Ashes to Ashes and co-star Kurt Russell. The film is about a New York widow who loses her late husband's ashes in India. As of 2011 the project has yet to go into production.

Please click here to view Doriantb's Fowl Play post.

Please click here to view Goldie Hawn past reviews.

Happy Birthday: Kim Novak! "The Lavendar Girl".

Kim Novak,(February 13, 1933). It was Kim's modeling career that landed her an uncredited role in the film, The French Line (1953). Later, a talent agent arranged for a screen test with Columbia Pictures. The studio thought that they found their new, Marilyn Monroe. After taking some acting lessons, Kim performed in her first film with Fred MacMurray in, Pushover (1954). Later that year, Kim performed in the film, Phffft (1954) with Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday. These two films set the tone for her career. Her next performance was as "Kay Greylek" in the film, 5 Against the House (1955). It was her next film, Picnic (1955), that made her famous. The film won two Oscars for editing and set decoration. The film Picnic, tells the story of a ex-college football star who turns drifter. He finds himself back in his small home town on Labor Day. Unfortunately, he falls in love with his best friends girl, which complicates their friendship. Directed by Joshua Logan, with William Holden, Kim Novak, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell, Nick Adams, Betty Field, Rosalind Russell and Verna Felton, the film is sometimes thought of as a "snapshot of life" in the American Midwest during the 1950s. The film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for four more. I thought this film was very passionate story. I loved attitude of the older neighbor who was glad to "hear a man stomp around the house with his boots".



Kim's next film was, The Man with the Golden Arm(1955). A drama film, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren, which tells the story of a heroin addict, who gets clean while in prison, but struggles to stay that way in the outside world. It stars Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and Darren McGavin. Directed by Otto Preminger. Kim's performance was flawless, but it was was her beauty that was the big hit of the film.



In 1957, Kim played "Linda English" in the movie, Pal Joey (1957), with Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. Please click here to learn more about the film Pal Joey.

Kim also gave a wonderful performance in Alfred Hitchcock's film, Vertigo (1958) with Jimmy Stewart. The film was one in which Stewart's character, a detective, is hired to follow a suicidal blond. He later finds out that Kim is actually a brunette shop girl who set him up as part of a murder plot. Her next film is another one of my favorite films, Bell Book and Candle (1958).

Kim landed the role of "Mildred Rogers" in the remake of, Of Human Bondage (1964). After filming, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965). Kim took a break from acting, returning in 1968 to star in what I thought was kind of a weird film, The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968). Again, she took another break from acting, before performing in, The White Buffalo (1977). She followed this up with, Just a Gigolo (1978), where she starred opposite David Bowie. She did find success in the mystery/thriller, The Mirror Crack'd (1980), co-starring Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson and Angela Lansbury.

She played the lead in the film, The Children (1990), where she starred opposite Ben Kingsley and Karen Black. Kim's last film,(so far) was in, Liebestraum (1991), in which she played a terminally ill woman with a past.

Since 1976, she has been married to Dr. Robert Malloy, who went to medical school with Martin Dinnes, the husband of Kim's friend, Tippi Hedren. She now lives on a ranch in Oregon and is an artist. Kim and her husband raise lamas and horses.

Please click here to read past Kim Novak movie reviews.

Fun Facts:

Turned down the female lead in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), The Hustler (1961) and Animal House (1978) among others because she was focusing on her personal life.

She arrived in Hollywood as "The Lavender Girl". When she became a star at Columbia Pictures, the studio had her blond hair tinted with lavender highlights.

Happy Birthday: Jack Lemmon!

Jack Lemmon (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001). He starred in more than 60 films including: Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts (for which he won the 1955 Best Supporting Actor Academy Award), Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger (for which he won the 1973 Best Actor Academy Award), The Out-of-Towners, The China Syndrome, Missing (for which he won 'Best Actor' at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival), Glengarry Glen Ross, Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men.

Please click here to view past Jack Lemmon movie reviews.

Lemmon's film debut was in a small part as a plasterer/painter in the film, The Lady Takes a Sailor(1949). He became better known in the film, It Should Happen to You(1954).



He was also close friends with Tony Curtis, Ernie Kovacs, Walter Matthau and Kevin Spacey. He made two films with Curtis, three films with Kovacs, and eleven with Matthau.

Early in Lemmon's career, Lemmon met Ernie Kovacs during the filming of, Operation Mad Ball. Lemmon and Kovacs became close friends and appeared together in two other films: Bell, Book, and Candle and It Happened to Jane(1977).

He became a favorite actor of director Billy Wilder, cast in his films: Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma la Douce, The Fortune Cookie, Avanti!, The Front Page and Buddy Buddy.

He also had a longtime working relationship with director Blake Edwards, starring in Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The Great Race (1965) and That's Life! (1986).

Lemmon recorded an album in 1958 while filming Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe. Twelve jazz tracks were created for Lemmon and another twelve were added. Lemmon played the piano and recorded his own versions of Monroe's songs, I Wanna Be Loved By You and I'm Through With Love, for the album which was released in 1959 as, A Twist of Lemmon/Some Like It Hot.

Lemmon was awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1956 for Mister Roberts (1955) and the Best Actor Oscar for Save the Tiger (1973), becoming the first actor to achieve this double. He was also nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the controversial film Missing in 1982 and for his role in Some Like it Hot.

Days of Wine and Roses (1962) was one of his favorite roles. He played Joe Clay, a fun-loving alcoholic businessman.

Lemmon's production company JML produced the film, Cool Hand Luke (1967).

Lemmon appeared in many films with his friend Walter Matthau. Among their pairings was 1968's The Odd Couple(1968), The Fortune Cookie (for which Matthau won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), The Front Page and Buddy Buddy. In 1971, Lemmon directed Matthau in the comedy, Kotch. It was the only movie that Lemmon ever directed and Matthau was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.

Also, Lemmon and Matthau had small parts in the film, JFK(1991) (the only film in which both appeared without sharing screen time). In 1993, the duo teamed up again to star in one of my favorite films, Grumpy Old Men. During the rest of the decade, they would go on to star together in, Out to Sea, Grumpier Old Men and The Odd Couple II.

A rare death scene for Lemmon came in, The China Syndrome, for which he was awarded Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1982, he won another Cannes award for his performance in, Missing (which received the Palme d'Or). At the 1998 Golden Globe Awards, he was nominated for "Best Actor in a Made for TV Movie" for his role in , Twelve Angry Men, losing to Rhames. After accepting the award, Rhames asked Lemmon to come on stage and, in a move that stunned the audience, gave his award to him.



(The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes, decided to have a second award made and sent to Rhames.)

Jack Lemmon movies I have seen:

1997 Out to Sea
1995 Grumpier Old Men
1993 Grumpy Old Men
1979 The China Syndrome
1977 Airport '77
1970 The Out of Towners
1968 The Odd Couple
1966 The Fortune Cookie
1965 The Great Race
1965 How to Murder Your Wife
1964 Good Neighbor Sam
1963 Under the Yum Yum Tree
1962 Days of Wine and Roses
1962 The Notorious Landlady
1960 The Wackiest Ship in the Army
1960 The Apartment
1959 It Happened to Jane
1959 Some Like It Hot
1958 Bell Book and Candle
1957 Operation Mad Ball
1957 Fire Down Below
1955 My Sister Eileen
1954 Phffft
1954 It Should Happen to You

Happy Birthday: Lana Turner!

Lana Turner (February 8, 1921 – June 29, 1995). While attending Hollywood High School, Turner decided to skip a typing class and bought a Coke at the Top Hat Cafe, where she was seen by William R. Wilkerson, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson referred her to Zeppo Marx. Marx's agency introduced her to film director Mervyn LeRoy, who cast her in her first film, They Won't Forget (1937). Based on a novel by Ward Greene called, Death in The Deep South, which was loosely based on a real life case: the trial and lynching of Leo Frank after the murder of Mary Phagan in 1913. It is considered by many critics to be one of the best dramas of the 1930s. Turner earned the nickname "The Sweater Girl" from her form-fitting sweater she wore in the movie.



In late 1937, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and graduated from high school. Her next performance was opposite Mickey Rooney in the Andy Hardy film, Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938). It was this appearance that made Louis B. Mayer convinced that Turner could be the next Jean Harlow.



Mayer gave her the leads in many teen films: Dramatic School (1938), These Glamour Girls (1939) and Dancing Co-Ed (1939). From the beginning of her career, Turner stood her ground on her beliefs and was one of the few actresses to go against Mayer's wishes.

During World War II, Turner became a popular pin-up girl due to her popularity in films: Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Johnny Eager (1942) and four films she did with Clark Gable. The Turner/Gable films were only heightened by rumors about a relationship between the two.

Another one of her well known films was, Slightly Dangerous (1943). A Romantic comedy film starring Lana Turner and Robert Young. A story of a bored young woman who runs away to New York City and ends up impersonating the long-lost daughter of a millionaire. The film was directed by Wesley Ruggles.



After the war, Turner performed in the film, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). The film noir was the turning point in her career and was Turner's first femme fatale performance.

In August 1946, it was announced Turner was going to replace Katharine Hepburn in the historical drama, Green Dolphin Street (1947). a story about a girl named Sophie who was in love with Edmund, but her parents forced her to marry wealthy Octavius. Years later, Edmund returns with his son, William. Sophie's daughter, Marguerite, and William fall in love. Marguerite's sister, Marianne, also loves William. Timothy, secretly loves Marianne and kills a man in a fight. Both men deserts from the navy and start a business together. One night, drunk, William writes Octavius, demanding his daughter's hand but, being drunk, he asks for the wrong sister.

For this role she darkened her hair and lost 15 pounds. It was her first starring role that did not center on her looks.



Later that year, Turner landed a role in the film, Cass Timberlane, a role that Jennifer Jones, Vivien Leigh and Virginia Grey were also considered for. Production of Cass Timberlane was very exhausting for Turner, as it was filmed while she was making the movie, Green Dolphin Street. She was paired again with Clark Gable in the film, Homecoming, their chemistry on screen was so wonderful that they were nicknamed "the team that generates steam".

In 1948, Turner performed in the film, in The Three Musketeers, opposite Gene Kelly, Van Heflin and June Allyson. She then went on to perform in the film, A Life of Her Own (1950). A melodrama, directed by George Cukor. The story is about an aspiring model who leaves her small town to find fame and fortune in New York City.

During the 1950s, Turner was casted in the musicals: Mr. Imperium (1951), The Merry Widow (1952). The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and later starred with John Wayne in the adventure film, The Sea Chase (1955). She was then cast in the epic, The Prodigal (1955). A story of a young Hebrew named Micah, who wants to live a more exciting life, demands his inheritance so he can go to the big city. There he falls in love with a beautiful priestess who only uses him for what she can get..

Later, Turner performed in the film, Peyton Place (1957), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. The film is about the lives and loves of the residents of a New England mill town, where everyone hides behind a tranquil facade.

Turner accepted the lead role in the remake of, Imitation of Life (1959) under the direction of Douglas Sirk. Which turned out to be the biggest hit of Turner's career.

She also made a film with Bob Hope in, Bachelor in Paradise (1961). Other well known films she performed at this time were: Portrait in Black (1960) and Madame X (1966), which was her last major starring role.

Please click here to read past Lana Turner movie reviews.

Lana Turner movies I have seen:

A Star Is Born (bit), (1937)
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
Calling Dr. Kildare
Ziegfeld Girl (1941)
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Weekend at the Waldorf (1945)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Green Dolphin Street (1947)
The Three Musketeers (1948)
A Life of Her Own (1950)
The Merry Widow (1952)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Latin Lovers (1953)
The Sea Chase (1955)
Peyton Place (1957)
Imitation of Life (1959)

Happy Birthday: Ida Lupino!

Ida Lupino (4 February 1918– 3 August 1995), was a pioneer among women filmmakers. In her 48-year career, she appeared in 59 films and directed nine others. She also appeared in serial television shows 58 times and directed 50 other episodes. In addition, she contributed as a writer to five films and four TV episodes.

Lupino was born into a family of performers. Her father, Stanley Lupino, was a music-hall comedian and her mother, Connie Emerald, was an actress. As a girl, Ida was encouraged to enter show business by both her parents and her uncle, Lupino Lane. She trained at RADA and made her first movie appearance in, The Love Race (1931) and spent the next several years playing bit parts.

It was after her appearance in, The Light That Failed (1939) that Lupino began to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress and she began to call herself..."the poor man's Bette Davis."

Lupino became well known from her performances in such films as, They Drive by Night (1940). A story about two brothers who were a couple of wildcat truck drivers. One comes to harm, while the other is accused of his friend's murder.






And High Sierra (1941), A story about Roy 'Mad Dog' Earle, who meets up with an old a friend who wants him to help with an upcoming robbery. When the robbery goes wrong and a man is shot and killed Earle goes on the run with the police hot on his tail in the, Sierra Nevada's.

After her performance in, The Hard Way (1943). She acted regularly, and was in demand throughout the 1940s without becoming a major star until 1947.

Eventually, Lupino became interested in directing. She found herself bored on set while "someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work." She and her husband Collier Young formed an independent company, The Filmmakers. Lupino, became a producer, director and screenwriter of low-budget movies.

Her first directing job came when Elmer Clifton suffered a mild heart attack and could not finish the film, Not Wanted(1949). Lupino stepped in to finish the film and went on to direct her own projects, becoming Hollywood's only female film director of the time.

Lupino directed films about social issues: Outrage (1950)and The Hitch-Hiker (1953), making her the first woman to direct a film noir. Lupino often joked that if she had been the "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, then she had become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director. In 1952, Lupino was invited to become the "fourth star" in Four Star Productions by Dick Powell, David Niven, and Charles Boyer, after Joel McCrea and Rosalind Russell had dropped out of the company.

Lupino continued acting throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and her directing were mostly television shows: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun Will Travel, The Donna Reed Show, Gilligan's Island, 77 Sunset Strip, The Investigators, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Batman, Sam Benedict, Bonanza, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Colombo, and Bewitched. She guest-starred on The Streets of San Francisco .

From January 1957 through September 1958, Lupino starred with her then husband, Howard Duff, in the CBS sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, in which they played husband and wife film stars named Howard Adams and Eve Drake. Duff and Lupino also co-starred as themselves in 1959 in one of, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour. Later in her acting career, Lupino guest-starred on many TV shows, before she retired at the age of 60. She made her final movie appearance in 1978.

Ida Lupino movies I have seen:

1940 They Drive by Night
1941 High Sierra
Escape Me Never.  Please click here to read Escape Me Never review.
1952 On Dangerous Ground
1966 The Trouble with Angels
1972 Junior Bonner

Happy Birthday: Clark Gable!

Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960). Was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". During his film career, Gable performed with some of the most famous actresses of the time: Joan Crawford, who was his favorite actress to work with was partnered with Gable in eight films, Myrna Loy performed with him seven times and he was paired with Jean Harlow in six films. He also starred with Lana Turner in four films and with Norma Shearer in three.

A young Gable wanted to become an actor after seeing the play, The Bird of Paradise. Gable first found work in small theater companies and he worked as a necktie salesman in a department store to help make ends meet. While there, he met actress Laura Hope Crews, who encouraged him to go back into acting.

His acting coach was a theater manager, Josephine Dillon. They traveled to Hollywood, where she became his manager and his first wife. He changed his stage name from W. C. Gable to Clark Gable. He found work as an extra in silent films, The Merry Widow (1925), The Plastic Age (1925), with Clara Bow.

Soon after, Gable returned to the stage, becoming lifelong friends with Lionel Barrymore. During the 1927-28s Gable acted with the Laskin Brothers Stock Company. Gable then moved to New York and Dillon found work for him on Broadway.

In 1930, after his wonderful performance in the stage production of, The Last Mile, Gable was offered a contract with MGM. His first role in a sound picture, The Painted Desert (1931). Gable's wonderful performance as Rance Brett, a criminal who does not feel sorry about the crimes he has committed, made him a very popular supporting actor.

Gable's timing in arriving in Hollywood could have not worked out better for him, as MGM was looking for more male stars. Joan Crawford asked for him as her co-star in, Dance, Fools, Dance (1931). A pre-code feature film about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. The film is loosely based on Chicago real-life events of the production's period such as reporter Jake Lingle's murder by underworld gangsters and the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

He also performed in the well known films: A Free Soul (1931), Susan Lenox Her Fall and Rise (1931), Possessed (1931), in which he and Joan Crawford steamed up the screen with the passion they shared in real life.

Unfortunately, Joan was still married at the time and Louis B. Mayer threatened to terminate both their contracts and for a while they kept apart and Gable shifted his focus on Marion Davies.

Gable's performance in the film, Red Dust (1932) made him MGM's most important star. After the film, Hold Your Man (1933), MGM recognized the goldmine of the Gable-Harlow pairing, putting them in two more films: China Seas (1935) and Wife vs. Secretary (1936). A very popular combination, on-screen and off-screen, Gable and Jean Harlow made six films together, the most popular, Red Dust (1932) and Saratoga (1937). The story about Carol Clayton the daughter of a horse breeder at Saratoga, who is engaged to wealthy Hartley Madison.



Gable was not the first choice to play the lead role in the film, It Happened One Night. A comedy directed by Frank Capra, a story about a spoiled rich girl who tries to get out from under her father's thumb and falls in love with a rogue reporter. The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel Hopkins Adams. It Happened One Night was one of the last film romantic comedies created before the MPAA began enforcing the 1930 production code in 1934.

Robert Montgomery was originally offered the role, but he did not like the script. Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1934 performance.

Gable also earned an Academy Award nomination in, Mutiny on the Bounty(1935). A story about a man named Fletcher Christian, who leads a revolt against Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. Bligh returns one year later, wanting revenge on his captors. Gable once said that this was his favorite film of his own, even though he did not get along with his co-stars Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone.

Even though Gable did not want to play the role, he is best known for his performance in one of my favorite films, Gone with the Wind (1939). A historical epic and romance-drama adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel. Set in the 19th century American South. Costars: Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel.

The film received 10 Academy Awards (8 competitive, 2 honorary), a record that stood for 20 years. "Gone With the Wind" has sold more tickets in the U.S. than any other film in history, and is considered one of the greatest and most popular films of all time. Carole Lombard may have been the first to suggest that he play Rhett Butler and she play Scarlett.

Carole Lombard was quoted as comforting Gable after his loss, with the comment "don't worry, Pappy. We'll bring one home next year". Gable replied that he felt this had been his last chance to which Lombard was said to have replied, "Not you, you self-centered blankly blank. I meant me.

Gable's marriage in 1939 to his third wife, actress Carole Lombard, was the happiest time in his life. Lombard enjoyed hunting and fishing with Gable and his friends. Unfortunately, On January 16, 1942, Lombard was a passenger on Trans-World Airlines Flight 3. She had just finished her 57th movie, To Be or Not to Be, and was on her way home when the flight's DC-3 airliner crashed into a mountain near Las Vegas, Nevada, killing all aboard.

A month later, he returned to the studio to work with Lana Turner in the movie, Somewhere I'll Find You. Gable was devastated by the tragic death of his wife and he began to drink heavily. However, he carried out his performances without a hitch. He acted in twenty-seven more movies, and he re-married twice.

Gable is also well known for his wonderful performance in, The Hucksters (1947) and soon followed by, Never Let Me Go (1953), opposite Gene Tierney. A story about Philip Sutherland, who is an American news writer stationed in Moscow since the war. While there he falls for a Russian ballet dancer, Marya Lamarkins. They marry, only to find that the Soviet nation has become a police state. Sutherland is forced to leave without Marya, but he's determined to get her back. Tierney was a favorite of Gable and he was very disappointed when she was replaced in, Mogambo(1953) by Grace Kelly. Mogambo, was directed by John Ford and was a remake of his earlier film, Red Dust.

Gable refused to renew his contract with MGM, and began to work independently. His first two films were, Soldier of Fortune and The Tall Men.

In 1955, Gable formed a production company with Jane Russell and her husband Bob Waterfield, and they produced , The King and Four Queens. His next project was, Band of Angels, with Sidney Poitier and Yvonne De Carlo. Next he paired with Doris Day in, Teacher's Pet. The film was good enough to bring Gable more film offers, including, Run Silent, Run Deep. At 57, Gable said, "Now it's time I acted my age". His next two films were light comedies, But Not for Me with Carroll Baker and It Started in Naples with Sophia Loren .

Gable's last film was, The Misfits, written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston, and co-starring Marilyn Monroe, Eli Wallach, and Montgomery Clift. The Misfits takes place in Reno, about a chance meeting and friendship of a divorcee, Roslyn Tabor, and Gay Langland, an aging ex-cowboy who likes to gamble and makes a living by rounding up mustangs. This was also the final film completed by Monroe. Many critics believe this film to be Gable's best performance.

Happy 81st Birthday Gene Hackman

Happy 81st Birthday to veteran actor Gene Hackman. Starred in such classic films like Bonnie & Clyde (1967), I Never Sang For My Father (1970), The French Connection (1971, for which he won Best actor Oscar), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Conversation (1974), Night Moves (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Superman (1978), Hoosiers (1986), Mississippi Burning (1988), Unforgiven (1992, Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Crimson Tide (1995), and Enemy of the State (1998).

Happy 74th Birthday Vanessa Redgrave

Happy Birthday to Vanessa Redgrave, who turns 74 today. Part of the distinguished Redgrave family, Vanessa's notable films include A Man For All Seasons (1966), Camelot (1967), Isadora (1968), Julia (1977), Howards End (1992), Mission Impossible (1996), and most recently Atonement (2007).

Happy Birthday: Dorothy Malone!

Dorothy Malone(born January 30, 1925). While performing at Southern Methodist University, she was spotted by a talent agent for RKO and signed a studio contract, making her film debut in the film, The Falcon and the Co-Eds (1943).

Malone's early performances were mostly in B-movies, many of them Westerns, from time to time she performed in small but important roles and Her first speaking role came in the film, The Big Sleep (1946). A story about a Dying General Sternwood, who asks Philip Marlowe to deal with his family's problems. Marlowe finds that most of the problems revolves around the disappearance one of Sternwood's employees who takes off with a mobsters wife. Malone played a young woman in the used bookshop, her glamor hidden behind glasses. Her character shuts down her shop to help Bogart's Philip Marlowe, find a first edition of Ben Hur. After her performance in the film, The Big Sleep, she became more popular.



Malone also performed in the film, Artists and Models(1955), with Martin and Lewis.



Malone became a blond for the film, Written on the Wind. Which, won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Later, she was offered roles in the films: Too Much, Too Soon(1958), with Errol Flynn. The movie tells the true story of Diana Barrymore, a actress who acted on both stage and screen was once part of the legendary Barrymore family.



Next she went on to film, The Tarnished Angels (1957). With Rock Hudson,
Robert Stack and Jack Carson. A story about a World War I flying ace Roger Shumann, who makes a living during the Great Depression as a pilot at airshows with his wife LaVerne, son Jack and mechanic Jiggs.

Reporter Burke Devlin, becomes interested in Roger's lifestyle of the former war hero, but does not like how he treats his family. Roger makes a deal with wealthy Matt Ord for a plane in exchange for a few hours with his wife. Tragedy soon follows.



Dorothy Malone's personal favorite of her films was, One Sunday Afternoon (1948)and the remake of, The Strawberry Blonde (1941). But, she also enjoyed doing westerns, Two Guys From Texas (1948) and South of St.Louis (1949), she loved being the only women on the set. She deeply regrets, that she did not audition for the film, The Big Country (1958), made by her favorite director, William Wyler.

Happy Birthday Donna Reed (1921 - 1986)

Happy Birthday to Donna Reed, one of my favorite actresses. She appeared is such classics as It's A Wonderful Life, From Here To Eternity, The Courtship Of Andy Hardy, They Were Expendable and lots more. And of course she was the star in her famous long running comedy series, The Donna Reed Show. Happy Birthday Donna!

Happy Birthday: Patricia Neal !

TCM is celebrating Patricia Neals birthday with the films featured below:

Fountainhead, The (1949) An idealistic architect battles corrupt business interests and his love for a married woman. Cast: Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Massey. Dir: King Vidor.



It's a Great Feeling (1949). When nobody at Warner Bros. will work with him, movie star Jack Carson decides to turn an unknown into his co-star. Cast: Jack Carson, Doris Day, Dennis Morgan. Dir: David Butler. Patricia Neal, gives a cameo appearance.

John Loves Mary(1949). A World War II veteran's marriage of convenience threatens his real wedding plans. Cast: Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson. Dir: David Butler.

Washington Story (1952.) A reporter in search of government corruption falls for a congressman. Cast: Van Johnson, Patricia Neal, Louis Calhern. Dir: Robert Pirosh.

Psyche 59(1964). After being blinded in a mysterious fall, a woman fears her husband is involved with her younger sister. Cast: Curt Jurgens, Patricia Neal, Samantha Eggar. Dir: Alexander Singer.

The Subject Was Roses(1968). A young veteran returns home to deal with family conflicts. Cast: Patricia Neal, Jack Albertson, Martin Sheen. Dir: Ulu Grosbard.

Road Builder, The (1971). A drifter with a deadly secret ignites passions in two lonely women. Cast: Patricia Neal, Pamela Brown, Nicholas Clay. Dir: Alastair Reed.

Private Screenings: Patricia Neal (2004). Patricia Neal discusses her career with TCM host Robert Osborne.

Please click here to read bio and past Patricia Neal movie reviews.

Happy Birthday: Tippi Hedren !

Tippi Hedren (born January 19, 1930), is an actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is best known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie and her work in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an 80-acre wildlife habitat which she founded in 1983.

Hedren is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith.

When Tippi reached her 18th birthday, she bought a ticket to New York and began a professional modeling career. Within a year she made her film debut in, The Petty Girl (1950).

She was discovered by Hitchcock, who was watching, The Today Show when he saw Hedren in commercial for Sego, a diet drink. Hitchcock was looking for an actress who had the sex appeal of Grace Kelly. Hedren, was mentored by Hitchcock, for the films: The Birds (1962). Suspense horror film based on the 1952 novel, The Birds by Daphne du Maurier. The story takes place in, Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly attacked by birds. The video below is Tippi Hendren's screen test.



Marnie (1964). Psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. Cast: Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery.

Charles Chaplin cast Tippi in the film, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). The last film directed by Charlie Chaplin. It was one of two films Chaplin directed in which he did not play a major role, the other was, A Woman of Paris(1923). Chaplin's cameo was his final screen appearance. Cast: Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Tippi Hedren, and Sydney Earle Chaplin, Chaplin's second son. The story is based loosely on the life of a woman Chaplin met in France, named Moussia Sodskaya, or "Skaya" as he calls her in his 1922 book "My Trip Abroad". She was a Russian singer and dancer that was marooned in France without a passport.




Tippi produced Roar, an 11-year project that starred dozens of African lions. The film led to the 1983 establishment of the non-profit, Roar Foundation and Hedren's Shambala Preserve. Shambala currently taking care of many African lions, Siberian and Bengal tigers, leopards, servals, mountain lions and bobcats. Hedren lives on the Shambala site and conducts tours. Several documentaries have focused on Shambala Preserve, including the 30-minute Lions: Kings of the Serengeti (1995), narrated by Melanie Griffith, and Animal Planet's Life with Big Cats (1998), which won the Genesis Award for best documentary in 1999.

Happy Birthday: Cary Grant!

Cary Grant.(January 18, 1904 – November 29, 1986). With his distinctive Mid-Atlantic accent, he was best known as the most debonair of leading man.



Quote:
My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.

Please click here to read past Cary Grant articles.

Cary Grant Official Home Page.

TCM is celebrating Cary Grant's birthday with the movies featured below:

Sylvia Scarlett (1935) . A female con artist masquerades as a boy to escape the police. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Edmund Gwenn. Dir: George Cukor.



Toast Of New York, The (1937) .A 19th century con artist rises from medicine shows to Wall Street. Cast: Edward Arnold, Cary Grant, Frances Farmer.

Bringing Up Baby (1938). A madcap heiress upsets the staid existence of a straitlaced scientist. Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Ruggles. Dir: Howard Hawks.

Gunga Din (1939). Three British soldiers seek treasure during an uprising in India. Cast: Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Victor McLaglen. Dir: George Stevens.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) . A team of flyers risks their lives to deliver the mail in a mountainous South American country. Cast: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth. Dir: Howard Hawks.

Night And Day (1946). Fanciful biography of songwriter Cole Porter, who rose from high society to find success on Tin Pan Alley. Cast: Cary Grant, Jane Wyman, Alexis Smith. Dir: Michael Curtiz.



Cary Grant: A Class Apart (2004). Documentary that explores the life and career of leading man Cary Grant through film clips and interviews.

Happy Birthday: Faye Dunaway !

One of my favorite actress of the 70s and 80s was Faye Dunaway, an elegant blonde with a knack for playing complex and strong-willed female leads. Faye Dunaway, won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film, Network (1976). The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Cast: William Holden, Peter Finch and Robert Duvall and features Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight. A story about how a TV network exploits a ex-TV anchor's ravings for their own profit.

James Stewart turned the film down because of the strong language.

Faye also received nomination for the film, Bonnie and Clyde (1967). A crime/comedy/romance.

During the depression in the early 1930's, Bonnie Parker meets Clyde Barrow while he tries to steal her mother's car from the front yard. Interested in his personality and bored with her job as a waitress, she decides to run off with him. Together they commit a few small time holdups that provide them with excitement, but.. that is about all. Eventually, they recruit C. W. Moss, a slow witted garage mechanic, to drive the getaway car. Soon, they are joined by Clyde's brother Buck, just released from prison and his whining wife, Blanche. They decide to become notorious bank robbers which turns into an amazing and exciting story ...

The film was directed by Arthur Penn. Costar: Warren Beatty. The screenplay was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, with Robert Towne and Beatty providing uncredited contributions to the script.

Bonnie and Clyde is considered a landmark film, that broke many taboos. Its success motivated other filmmakers to use sex and violence in their films.

Bonnie and Clyde received Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Estelle Parsons) and Best Cinematography (Burnett Guffey).

Other actresses considered for the role of Bonnie Parker included: Tuesday Weld, Ann-Margret, Carol Lynley and Sue Lyon.




Chinatown (1974). Neo-noir film, directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne. Cast: Jack Nicholson and John Huston. The film is a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama. Performed perfectly by its amazing cast, with a terrifying performance by John Huston as Noah Cross.

The story, set in Los Angeles in 1937,  inspired by the historical disputes over land and water rights in southern California during the 1910s and 1920s, in which William Mulholland acted on behalf of Los Angeles to secure water rights in the Owens Valley.

Chinatown, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning in the category of Best Original Screenplay for Robert Towne.



Faye Dunaway also starred in one of my favorite films, The Thomas Crown Affair(1968), with Steve McQueen. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Award for Best Song with, "Windmills of Your Mind". A remake was released in 1999. Of all of the films that Steve McQueen made in his career, this film is reported to have been his favorite.

The story begins when, Thomas Crown, a millionaire businessman and sportsman, pulls off a perfect crime by robbing a Boston bank and dumping the money into a cemetery's trash can. Crown retrieves the money later and deposits it at a bank in Geneva.

Vicki Anderson, an independent insurance investigator, is contracted to investigate the heist. She will receive a percentage of the stolen money if she recovers it.

Their relationship turns into one of the hottests affairs I have seen in a movie. But, things become complicated by Vicki's job.

The film is beautifully photographed and it also has a wonderful musical score. Jewison makes use of the split screen in several places in the film. Which captures the era perfectly.




The Towering Inferno (1974). Action disaster film produced by Irwin Allen. Cast: Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. The film, was adapted from the novels: The Tower by Richard Martin Stern and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. Directed by John Guillermin, with Allen himself directing the action sequences. Jennifer Jones made her final film appearance in this film.

During filming an actual fire broke out on one of the sets and Steve McQueen began helping the firemen put it out. One of the firemen, not recognizing McQueen, said to the actor, "My wife is not going to believe this." To this McQueen replied, "Neither is mine."

The suspense will keep you on edge of your seat, like the scene when they are climbing up a flaming stair well and a long decent down an elevator. You can almost feel the flames and smell the smoke. The scenic elevator is actually one of two in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco. This elevator was also used in the movie, Time After Time (1979).




Another favorite Faye Dunaway film, Three Days of the Condor (1975). An action thriller with a twist. produced by Stanley Schneider and directed by Sydney Pollack. The screenplay, by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel, was adapted from the novel, Six Days of the Condor by James Grady.

The film is set in New York City. Robert Redford, an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency who becomes involved in a deadly power struggle within the agency. It is a story of a common man (Robert Redford) battling for his life. This film reminded me a little of the Alfred Hitchcock's film, North By Northwest.

The film was nominated for the 1976 Academy Award for Film Editing. Semple and Rayfiel received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.



Another favorite Faye Dunaway  movie is, The First Deadly Sin (1980). The last of nine films produced by and starring Frank Sinatra,  Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, Brenda Vaccaro, James Whitmore and, in his final acting role, Martin Gabel. Bruce Willis made his film debut in a bit part. The First Deadly Sin was based on the novel of the same name, first of a series of popular novels by Lawrence Sanders.

New York police Sgt. Edward Delaney is at the scene of a brutal murder when news comes from the hospital that his wife condition has worsened after her kidney operation. Even with his wife's health problems and being close to retirement, Delaney tries to link the recent killing to other recent string of murders. Delaney recruits a museum curator, a coroner, and the victim's wife , to help with his investigation. The investigation leads to a man named Blank, a businessman who looks to be leading a secret life. Will Delaney come up with a plan to trap the killer?

Dunaway blamed the film, Mommie Dearest (1981), for ruining her career as a leading lady. In 1987, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for her performance in Barfly.  Next she went onto perform in the film, Don Juan DeMarco (1995), with Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando.

Dunaway, also starred in the 1986 made-for-television movie, Beverly Hills Madam. In 1993, Dunaway briefly starred in a sitcom with Robert Urich, It Had to Be You. Dunaway won an Emmy for a 1994 role as a murderer in, "It's All in the Game," an episode of the mystery series, Columbo.

In 1996, she toured nationally with the stage play, Master Class. The story about opera singer Maria Callas. Dunaway bought the rights to the Terrence McNally play, for possible film development.

In 2006, Dunaway played a character named Lois O'Neill in the sixth season of the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She served as a judge on the 2005 reality show The Starlet, which was to find the next young actress to become a major star. In the spring of 2007, the direct-to-DVD movie release of Rain, based on the novel by V. C. Andrews and starring Dunaway, was released. In 2009, Dunaway starred in the film, The Bait by  film director and producer Dariusz Zawiślak.

Dunaway has been married twice, from 1974 to 1979 to Peter Wolf, the lead singer of the rock group, The J. Geils Band, and from 1984 to 1987 to Terry O'Neill, a British photographer.

Happy Birthday: Rod Taylor!

Rod Taylor (11 January 1930), first American appearance bit role was in, The Catered Affair. His continued high profile support roles in major pictures such as, Giant(1956), Raintree County(1957) and Separate Tables (1958).

Some of my favorite films are also some of Taylor's best-known films: The Time Machine (1960). A British science fiction film based on the novel of the same name written by H. G. Wells. The story is about a man living in 1895 in England who builds a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future. The film starred Rod Taylor, Alan Young and Yvette Mimieux.

As George, Rod Taylor's performance makes George believable as a explorer/adventurer which takes the viewer along with him for the ride into the future. Taylor, is a wonderful actor and this maybe the role he will be best remembered.

Fun Facts:

Director George Pal, was a friend of animator Walter Lantz. As tribute, Pal wanted to include Woody Woodpecker references in all his films. In the scenes where the Eloi are having a good time, every now and then you can distinctly hear the "Woody Woodpecker" laugh.

During the air raid scene, as everyone is rushing into the shelter a little girl crossing the street stops to pick something up that she dropped. When she does, you can see she picks up a small Woody Woodpecker doll.

The plaque on the control panel of time machine reads "Manufactured by H George Wells."




Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds (1963). Where, Taylor starred as Mitch Brenner, a man whose hometown of Bodega Bay and family home in the Northern California town come under attack from flocks of birds for no reason. Hitchcock has made many great films, and this certainly is one of my favorites.

I was amazed of how carefully Hitchcock builds the suspense in this movie. You watch the birds perching and not moving, as they are waiting and preparing for their next attack....



Another favorite Rod Taylor film of mine is: The Glass Bottom Boat,(1966) romantic/comedy. Directed by Frank Tashlin. Cast: Doris Day and Rod Taylor.

Jennifer Nelson, a widow working in the public relations office for a space laboratory, meets her boss Bruce Templeton when he accidentally catches his fishing line on her mermaid outfit, leaving her bottomless.. While she is working part time as a mermaid for her father who owns a glass bottom boat. Templeton, soon learns that she is working at his plant, hires her to write a biography about him while he is test-piloting a new rocket. Jenny's habit of calling her dog Vladimir at home, catches the suspicions of CIA.



When she overhears Templeton discussing that he believes that she is a foreign spy. She makes a game of it by making a phony phone call at a party at Templeton's home. Unknown to her, a secret formula has been hidden in her purse, and the real espionage agent follows her home. Jenny jumps out of a window and a hilarious chase begins.

Will the real foreign spy be caught?

One of my favorite scenes is when Doris Day is dressed up as Mata-Hari . Another favorite scene is when Robert "Napoleon Solo" Vaughn shows up in a cameo at the party. You can hear a clip of the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." theme playing in the background.

The rest of the supporting cast is fun. Dick Martin is wonderful as Taylor's partner, and Arthur Godfrey is great as her Dad. Paul Lynde is hilarious as a paranoid security guard, who goes under cover in drag. Dom DeLuise plays a cute part as an inept spy.

Taylor began to change his image to tough guy roles starting with his co-producing Chuka' that led to Dark of the Sun, Nobody Runs Forever and Darker than Amber.

Happy Birthday: Loretta Young!

Loretta Young (January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) . Starting as a child actress, she had a long career in film from 1917 to 1953. Young was billed as "Gretchen Young" in the 1917 film, Sirens of the Sea. It was not until 1928 that she was first billed as "Loretta Young" in, The Whip Woman. That same year she co-starred with Lon Chaney in the film, Laugh, Clown, Laugh. During the Second World War, Young made, Ladies Courageous (1944 reissued as Fury in the Sky), the fictionalized story of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. It depicted a unit of female pilots during WWII who flew bomber planes from the factories to their final destinations.

Young made as many as seven or eight movies a year. In 1947, she won an Oscar for her performance in, The Farmer's Daughter. The same year she co-starred with Cary Grant and David Niven in, The Bishop's Wife.

In 1949, Young received another Academy Award nomination for, Come to the Stable. In 1953, she appeared in her last theatrical film, It Happens Every Thursday, a comedy about a New York couple who move to California to take over a struggling weekly newspaper.

TCM is celebrating Loretta Youngs birthday with the list of films featured below:

Unguarded Hour, The (1936). A blackmailer tries to stop a woman from revealing evidence that could save a condemned man. Cast: Franchot Tone, Loretta Young, Roland Young.

Doctor Takes a Wife, The (1940). A man-hating author and a woman-hating doctor have to pretend they're married. Cast: Loretta Young, Ray Milland, Reginald Gardiner. Dir: Alexander Hall.

Men in Her Life (1941)A circus performer marries a man who promises to turn her into a ballerina. Cast: Loretta Young, Conrad Veidt, Dean Jagger. Dir: Gregory Ratoff.

Night to Remember, A (1942) A mystery writer and his wife stumble on a murder in their new apartment. Cast: Loretta Young, Brian Aherne, Jeff Donnell. Dir: Richard Wallace.

Along Came Jones (1945) A mild-mannered cowboy is mistaken for a notorious outlaw. Cast: Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, William Demarest. The video below features movie clips of the best cowboy of Hollywood! Gary Cooper.
Plainsman, 1936
Westerner, 1940
North West Mounted Police, 1940
For Whom the Bell Tolls, 1943
Along Came Jones, 1945
Saratoga Trunk , 1945
Dallas, 1950
Distant Drums, 1951



Bishop's Wife, The (1947). An angel helps set an ambitious bishop on the right track. Cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven. Dir: Henry Koster.

Cause For Alarm (1951)A woman fights to intercept a letter in which her husband tries to prove her guilty of murder. Cast: Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan, Bruce Cowling. Dir: Tay Garnett.

Paula (1952). A woman harbors a deadly secret when her husband brings home a child she injured in a hit-and-run accident. Cast: Loretta Young, Kent Smith, Tommy Rettig. Dir: Rudolph Mate.