“Forgotten Hollywood”- Schindler on Display…

November 13th, 2016

Manny P. here… oskar_schindler_image

   In a tumultuous week, this is a story worth telling.

   The Leatherby Libraries is now home to the most complete set of Oskar Schindler’s (right) archives and documents – including copies of the original Schindler’s Lists that protected over 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust.

   About 50 people attended a ceremony November 10th of the grand opening of a room in Leatherby Libraries that now includes 22 boxes of Schindler’s letters, photographs, and architectural drawings that Chapman presidential fellow David Crowe donated to the Chapman Holocaust Memorial Library, located on the fourth floor.

   Crowe donated the documents, which took him seven years to accumulate, to Chapman because of its proximity to the Beverly Hills home of the late Leopold Page and his wife Mila, who attended the event Thursday afternoon. The Pages were among those Schindler saved from concentration camps. Leopold convinced author Thomas Keneally to write the book that inspired Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, after Keneally visited Page’s Southern California leather shop.

 schindlers_list_movie   liam-neesa

                  BEN KINGSLEY    LIAM NEESON

   Crowe, who was on the education board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., for 14 years, said he wanted to put the letters and archives in a smaller location, where it would be available for anyone interested in Holocaust study. President Danielle Struppa, who gave a speech at the ceremony, said Marilyn Harran, director of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, emailed him asking if he’d like to include Crowe’s archives, but the contents of the room were kept a secret until Thursday. The ceremony culminated with a champagne toast and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Struppa, Crowe, and Harran gathered around Mila Page. Marie Knecht, the Pages’ daughter, was excited to see photos of her mother and father, and hopes the exhibit will help ensure that scholars never forget the history of the Holocaust.

   The archives are on display in the Brandman Survivors room, adjacent to the Samueli Holocaust Library. They will be available by appointment to Chapman students, faculty, and visiting researchers.

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oskar-schindler   In a related story, the dilapidated factory that Oskar Schindler (left) once used to save his Jewish workers from Nazi death camps during World War II will be restored into a Holocaust memorial, Czech officials have announced. The Czech culture ministry named parts of the complex a cultural monument earlier this month. They plan to turn the munitions shop into a repository on Schindler’s life, and it should be completed by 2019.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Robert Redford to Retire…

November 12th, 2016

Manny P. here… 179px-robert_redford_pastel_portrait_by_robert_perez_palou

   With nearly 80 acting credits to his name — from cinematic classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Barefoot in the Park, Inside Daisy Clover, Three Days of the Condor, The Great Gatsby, The Sting, The Way We Were, and All the President’s Men — Robert Redford (right) has had a career like few others in Hollywood. Now, one aspect of his work will soon come to an end. While he’ll still keep up directing and his championing independent voices after founding the Sundance Film Festival, he’s announced he’ll be retiring from acting after his next two features.

   When it comes to his last acting role, Old Man with a Gun  which is a re-team with his Pete’s Dragon director David Lowery — it sounds like the ideal send-off. His final films are due to be released in 2017. Along with continuing a career as a director, the 80-year-old — who won the Best Director Oscar in 1981 for Ordinary People — also sees himself returning to painting. He received his art training in Paris after dropping out of the University of Colorado. Other successes behind the camera include A River Runs Through It and Quiz Show. He garnered an honorary Oscar in 2002.

   Redford will remain the chairman of the annual Sundance Film Festival, held in Utah. The actor made the announcement in an interview with his grandson Dylan for the Walker Art Center.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- One of the Magnificent Seven…

November 11th, 2016

Manny P. here…300px-manfromuncle1

   Robert Vaughn was an actor noted for his stage, film, and television work. His best-known small screen role was as the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In cinema, he portrayed the quiet, skittish gunman in The Magnificent Sevenand a war veteran in The Young Philadelphians, which earned him a 1960 Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.    ROBERT VAUGHN —–>

   Vaughn made his television debut in 1955 on Medic, the first of more than two hundred episodic roles. His first big screen appearance was as an uncredited extra in The Ten Commandments. He was signed to a contract with Burt Lancaster’s film company and was to have played the Steve Dallas role in Sweet Smell of Success, but was drafted before he could begin the film. Vaughn served in the United States Army, and became a drill sergeant.

   in Hollywood, he had parts in The Glass Bottom Boat, The Bridge at Remagen, Bullitt, If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium, The Towering Inferno, S.O.B., Superman III, and The Delta Force. On television, he also guest-starred in Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Father Knows BestZorro, Wagon Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, ThrillerThe Untouchables, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The VirginianHawaii Five-0, LaramieTrapper John M.D., Murder She Wrote, The A-Team, Diagnosis Murder, ColumboLaw & Order, and of course, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

   The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was part of an avalanche of secret agent shows (I Spy, Mission: Impossible, The Saint, The Avengers), spoofs (Get Smart), flicks (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Our Man Flint), and even songs (Secret Agent Man) inspired by the James Bond films.

the_man_from_u-n-c-l-e   Vaughn’s most famous role spawned the spinoff series, merchandising, overseas theatrical motion pictures of re-edited episodes, and a sequel, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. – The Fifteen-Year-Later Affair. The original show achieved such cultural prominence that costumes, props, documents, and a video clip are in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar U.N.C.L.E. exhibits are in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies and organizations gathering intelligence.

   Vaughn was the first popular American actor to take a public stand against the Vietnam War and was active in Another Mother for Peaceand, with Van Dyke and Carl Reiner, was a co-founder of Dissenting Democrats. Early in the 1968 presidential election, they supported the candidacy of Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy. became a friend of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and campaigned for him during his 1968 run for the presidency. When Kennedy was assassinated that year, Vaughn was so upset that he moved to England for five years. Continuing his higher education during his acting career, Vaughn earned a Ph.D in communications from the University of Southern California in 1970. Two years later, he published his dissertation as the book, Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting.

   The charismatic Robert Vaughn was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- AFI Fest Cinema 2016 Legacy Lineup..

November 10th, 2016

Manny P. here…

   AFI FEST 2016 presented by Audi has announced its annual Cinema’s Legacy lineup. This year features iconic titles from film history:

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carmen-jones~ CARMEN JONESDorothy Dandridge stars in the title role that made her the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Oscar for Best Actress. The Otto Preminger classic also starred Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, and Diahann Carroll.

citizen-kane~ CITIZEN KANEOrson Welles’ classic — #1 on AFI’s list of the greatest films of all time — follows the tragic life of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Also features Joseph Cotten, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Everett Sloane, Agnes Moorehead, and Paul Stewart. The screening features a re-mastered version of this timeless motion picture.

the-hitchhiker~ THE HITCH-HIKERA deranged hitchhiker takes two hostages in this gripping film noir classic. Directed by Ida Lupino, this tense movie stars  Edmond O’Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman.

speedy~ SPEEDY  Special engagement of this silent film classic, presented with a live music accompaniment. Harold Lloyd stars in the title role as a man who tries to save the last horse-drawn streetcar in an increasingly modern New York City.

mifune~ MIFUNE THE LAST SAMURAIThis thoughtful, elegant documentary on Japanese cinema’s greatest actor, Toshiro Mifune. Interviews include Keanu Reeves, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.

   Screenings will take place the TCL Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre American Cinematheque. The official host hotel is the Hollywood Roosevelt. The AFI Fest 2016 is taking place through November 17th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- TCM has Invited Me to Breakfast…

November 9th, 2016

Manny P. here…tmc_bat_still_pk_e6_c

   The exquisite Audrey Hepburn stars in director Blake Edwards’ timeless classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, returning to cinemas this November, as part of Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies Big Screen Classics series. Moviegoers are invited on Sunday, November 27th and Wednesday, November 30th at 2p and 7p. The screenings will include commentary from Turner Classic Movies Saturday daytime host Tiffany Vazquez that will reveal what makes Holly Golightly one of American cinema’s most charming heroines.

   Winner of Academy Awards for Best Song (Moon River) and Best Score, Breakfast at Tiffany’s captured the imagination of audiences, and made an indelible impact on movies, fashion, and society when it debuted in 1961. Audrey Hepburn (right) is transcendent as an intoxicating New York party girl who embarks on a wildly entertaining adventure to find love in the big city.

   Tickets can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com (theaters and participants are subject to change).

FATHOM EVENTS AND TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES PRESENT:
TCM BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

logo   TCM_website_logo

 Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies, and Paramount Pictures

In more than 650 movie theaters nationwide. Tickets are available at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

Sunday, November 27th  –   Wednesday, November 30th

2p and 7p

   Hope to see you at one of the screenings!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Election Night in America…

November 8th, 2016

Manny P. here…

   Hollywood and Americana intersect once again in a metaphoric Hollywood-and-Vine moment in time. AMC Theaters has announced that it would show CNN’s election-night coverage in 50 theaters in the United States — designating a red and a blue theater in each of 25 cities. And, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain in Texas is planning for election-night events as well.

ctydjrqusaaffdh   AMC was hoping to attract civic groups to its theaters. Allowing customers to self-select into separate theaters for their preferred candidates should reduce the potential for conflict. The Alamo is relying on event hosts (in patriotic costumes) to set the tone for the evening. The hosts are also responsible for channel selection. If it’s a cliffhanger, AMC is leaving it to the theater managers to decide how late to go, citing interest not just in the presidential election, but in local elections as well.

    AMC is not charging, but is asking people to join its Stubs loyalty program to reserve a seat for election night. Alamo theaters would most likely charge a nominal fee to guarantee a reserved seat, and then give customers a voucher for food and drink. Wow, an evening of election returns with movie theater popcorn, Bon-Bons, and Junior Mints. The Texas chain also plans to offer campaign-themed drink specials: the Canadian Passport (Canadian whiskey, maple syrup, and bitters), and Political Punch (gin, Swedish punch, and lime juice), both $9.

   Gathering with a crowd to watch election-night returns is by no means a new pastime. In 1944, an estimated 250,000 people gathered in Times Square to wait for election results outside the New York Times building. Many Broadway shows have planned not to compete with the real drama that will play out this evening. The Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall will also be dark. Hamilton, about the Founding Fathers, will run a performance as normal.

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   If watching returns is not your idea of fun, may I recommend classic cinema about fictional presidential campaigns, such as The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Best Man (1964), and The Candidate (1972)

   Remember to go vote and have a safe-and-sane evening on Election Night in America.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Editor’s Pixar…

November 4th, 2016

Manny P. here… the-science-behind-pixar-exhibition_18

   Enjoy a unique, first-time look into the Pixar filmmaking process, and explore the science and technology behind some of the most beloved animated films and their characters with the West Coast premiere of The Science Behind Pixar Exhibition. This 12,000 sq. ft. interactive exhibit showcases the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts used by the artists and computer scientists who help bring Pixar’s award-winning films to the big screen.

   With more than 40 interactive exhibit elements, the exhibition’s eight sections each focus on a step in the filmmaking process to give you an unparalleled view of the production pipeline and concepts used at Pixar every day. Participate in fun, engaging hands-on activities, listen to firsthand accounts from members of the studios’ production teams, and even come face-to-face with re-creations of your favorite Pixar film characters, including Buzz Lightyear, Dory, and WALL•E! It’s a Toy Story that is an absolute joy to share…

1280px-pixaranimationstudios   science-center-site-plan-exposition

   Created by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. Due to its popularity, I strongly urge that you purchase tickets in advance. The exhibit is at the California Science Center at 700 Exposition Park Dr. in Los Angeles through April 16th, 2017.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Meryl Streep Racks Up Another Award

November 3rd, 2016

Manny P. here…

meryl_streep_-_berlin_berlinale_66_24609057279   Eight-time Golden Globes winner Meryl Streep will add one more award at this year’s Globes: the Cecil B. DeMille Award. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that Streep will receive its prestigious honor for her outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.

   The 67-year-old actress has been a mainstay at the ceremony. She’s been nominated 29 times, and her first Golden Globe came for Kramer vs. Kramer in 1979. Streep (right) is also in the running this year for her performance in Stephen Frears’ Florence Foster Jenkins in the Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical category.

   The 64-year-old tribute was given last year to Denzel Washington. Other recent honorees include Martin Scorsese, George Clooney, Jodie Foster, and Morgan Freeman.

   The 74th Annual Golden Globes will air live on NBC on January 8th, with Jimmy Fallon hosting. Nominations will be announced December 12th.

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300px-tammy_grimes_1966   Tammy Grimes (left) was an actress and singer. She won two Tony Awards in her career, the first for the musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown. It was later adapted to the screen and starred Debbie Reynolds, who was nominated for an Oscar for the role. Grimes won her second accolade for starring in a 1970 revival of Private Lives. She also originated Diana in the Broadway production of California Suite. It was played in the film by Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for her performance. In 1966, she starred in her own television series, The Tammy Grimes Show.

   Grimes was divorced from Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Plummer. Their daughter is actress Amanda Plummer. In 2003, Tammy was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

   Tammy Grimes was 82.

Until next time>                               “never forget”