Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Famed pianist Roger Williams died on Saturday. He’s arguably the most successful artist in his craft over the last sixty years. His hits included Autumn Leaves (the only piano instrumental to ever reach #1), Born Free, The Impossible Dream, Somewhere in Time, and Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago.

   In his teens, he met Ronald Reagan at a radio station in Iowa and they became lifelong pals. Other notables who called him their friend were former President Jimmy Carter and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Eventually, Roger Williams performed at the White House for every  chief executive from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.

   Two early television pioneers who guided Roger Williams into a successful career would be Arthur Godfrey on his Talent Scouts program; and Dennis James, who hosted Chance of a Lifetime.

   According to his official website:

The first pianist to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Roger Williams has twenty-one Gold and Platinum albums to his credit. He is a Steinway Artist, and he is the first and (so far) only artist to receive the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award. Williams was featured at Carnegie Hall for Steinway’s 150^th Anniversary.

   In 2010, Roger Williams was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. At the time of his passing, he was 87 (having celebrated his birthday just last week).

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Laurie (my wife) recently purchased a special collector’s gift set edition of Barbie and Ken designed in the style of Doris Day and Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk, the Oscar-winning 1959 film. Russell Rouse took home a statuette for his Story and Screenplay written directly for the Screen.

(Rock Hudson™ is a trademark of the Estate of Rock Hudson. Ms. Doris Day has approved the depiction of her likeness and name on this product)

   What I discovered is that a Barbie collector’s website exists for you to find a variety of designs modified for the iconic doll, which offers a unique tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Age. By the way, keeping Barbie in her original box also adds value to the collection.

   Barbie’s favorite actress may be Grace Kelly. Three designer wardrobes compliment the former Princess of Monaco. My favorite is a dress resembling an outfit Grace wore in To Catch a Thief. Accessories include a clutch purse and scarf.

(Use of the name and likeness of Grace Kelly by permission of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a non-profit organization that continues Princess Grace of Monaco’s commitment to supporting emerging artists)

   Other wardrobe tributes include Sinatra and Elvis. Here is the link to a website promoting the Barbie collector series:

http://www.barbiecollector.com/

   (Pillow Talk © Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios  Licensing LLC. All rights reserved). To Catch a Thief © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved)

   I smell holiday present here…

© 2011 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Until next time>                                “never forget”

Manny P. here…

I’ve received confirmation from the committee representing this Saturday’s 9th Annual Duarte Festival of Authors regarding my participation. I’ll be moderating two very exciting literary panel discussions. Joining me will be a number of fine authors; some of our country’s  fabulous scribes! I’ll also have copies of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History for those folks who would like an autographed paperback. Below are the complete details:

WESTMINSTER GARDENS – 1420 Santo Domingo Ave., Duarte

October 8th   10a – 5p

* * *

AUTHOR PANELS 

LOS ANGELES NOIR / Main Tent Stage

Featured Speaker – Denise Hamilton

Gary Phillips – Jim Pascoe

Moderator – Manny Pacheco

12:30p – 1:15p

* * *

FICTION / Pergola Stage

Anna Louise Bannon  – Phil Drake – Reyna Grande – Thelma Reyna – Jon Vorhaus

Moderator – Manny Pacheco

2:45p – 3:30p

* * *

   Here’s a link to the Duarte Festival of Authors website:

http://friendsoftheduartelibrary.com/participate/festival-of-authors/

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   A motion picture museum might be the next big attraction in Southern California. A deal was tentatively enacted between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts.

   The Academy’s Board of Governors will begin developing plans for a design. They will also start creating permanent and seasonal exhibitions, and modern visitor interactive displays. Memorabilia in their extensive collection include rare movie prints, film posters, and original screenplay scripts. Top filmmakers and actors will be approached to help subsidize the project.

   The site of this attraction will be at the old May Company art-deco building in the Wilshire District. Originally built in 1939, this iconic department store has strong ties to cinema of that  particular year – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Ninotchka, and Gone with the Wind (among others). The Oscar–organizers are planning to convert the current area into a Hollywood-related facility within three to five years. The joint venture hopes to create what might be considered the finest state-of-the-art museum in the world devoted to moviemaking.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

   I’m reporting from the La Quinta Inn in Bellevue/Kirkland in Washington State. This is ground zero for the next 48 hours!

   Later today, I’ll be participating at the 2011 Northwest BookFest. It promises to be a busy day for me. Here’s a complete schedule of my activities (including signing copies of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History):

PANEL DISCUSSION

COMMUNITY CENTER LOBBY MEETING ROOM

 Finding Our Roots:  Multi Cultural Authors

Flor Fernandez Barrios – Sunnie Empie – Bharti Kirchner – Dee Goto

MODERATOR – MANNY PACHECO

 October 2nd    11ap

 * *

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – WORKSHOP / PANEL

SENIOR CENTER – ROOM 1

Savvy Self-Publisher: Understanding Economics of Self-Publishing

Sheryn Hara – Manny Pacheco – Tom Trimbath

October 2nd    12p

 * *

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – WORKSHOP / PANEL

SENIOR CENTER – ROOM 4

Marketing & PR: Non Tradional Market Sales

October 2nd    1p

 * *

BOOK SIGNING

PETER KIRK PARK

202 3rd St., Kirkland, WA

Book Publishers Network / Danforth Book Distribution Booths

 October 2nd     2p – 7p

~  ~ ~

   I hope you stop by and say hi!

Until next time>                                  “never forget”    

(#4 in a 12-part series to be printed at the beginning of each month)

Manny P. here…

   THEM! – Critics regard this science fiction drama the best of its genre during the 1950’s, along with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing. Remarkably, it may be the least mentioned. This flick pioneered the Cold War monster genre, later emulated by a countless number of “B” movies.

Back Story

   The producers of this motion picture decided to cast this film with a talented group of character actors. The screenplay allowed the ensemble cast to shine in tense scenes. Warner Brothers wanted to create horror with few black comedic elements (the approach initially developed decades earlier by Universal Studios).

   The movie studio also wanted audiences to believe they were going to see a film noir mystery, and they waited to shock viewers a full 1/3 into the flick. However, this is no gangster film. The villain in this piece are overgrown ants… THEM!

Positives

   Sandy Descher is not a household name as an actress. Yet, this child star was key to the opening of THEM!  Her catatonic look, followed by her screaming the title, set the iconic tone for the film.

   The casting of James Whitmore as a local New Mexico police officer, Edmund Gwenn as an entomologist, and James Arness as an FBI agent was so inspired. Whitmore is overwhelmed by the concept of nuclear testing causing an unusual growth of insects. Gwenn is so credible as an entomologist, as a youngster, I believed he was an expert in the field. Arness is a reliable love interest to the professor’s daughter. This science fiction picture has something for everyone.

JAMES WHITMORE

Negatives

   The demise of one its the stars is very unsettling, considering how heroic he was throughout the movie. I don’t want to give away who dies, but I can tell you, it’s unbelievably tragic. This is fantasy, but his death was so unnecessary. BOO HOO!

   The other negative came as a result of the influence of THEM! Copycat filmmakers never lived up to the hype in mimicking this fine plot, casting, and the general production values. The genre, though currently popular with filmgoers, has been consistently compromised by creative folks in the industry.

Supporting Actor Spotlight

   Edmund Gwenn began his career before the Silent Era. He was originally discovered by George Bernard Shaw in 1895, and the legendary playwright cast him in shows on the London stage.

   During Hollywood’s Golden Age, he provided memorable performances in Sylvia Scarlett, Anthony Adverse, A Yank at Oxford, The Devil and Miss Jones, Pride and Prejudice, Foreign Correspondent, Lassie Come Home, Of Human Bondage, Green Dolphin Street, Life With Father, and The Trouble With Harry. He received an Academy Award for his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street.

   A cousin to noted character actor Cecil Kellaway, I believe Gwenn’s finest hour might have  been describing how ants create their own insect society to a government agency in THEM!  He’s also credited for uttering the following before he succumbed to pneumonia after suffering a stroke in 1959:  Dying is easy… Comedy is hard! Peter O’Toole amusingly quoted Gwenn’s final words in My Favorite Year in 1982.

Epilogue

   Representatives of Disney Studios caught this picture and decided to hire Fess Parker to play Davy Crockett on television after watching his small role in this film. John Wayne also went to check out THEM!  The Duke later recommended James Arness to play Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, crediting his cinematic performance. Leonard Nimoy, William Schallert, Dub Taylor, and Richard Deacon all had small roles in this classic.

   And, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were  impressed. They honored the movie with an Oscar nomination for Best Special Effects. Not bad for a bunch of giant mean-spirited bugs with an attitude…

Until next time>                                “never forget”