Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

“`Melvin Dummar was never given $156 million that eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes unexpectedly bequeathed for rescuing him on a desert road and driving him nearly three hours to Las Vegas in 1967. His story was depicted in a 1980 film: Melvin and Howard.

“`Dummar’s tale about finding an unshaved Hughes with long stringy locks and baggy clothes was as bizarre as the aviation and movie mogul and business tycoon who spent his last years in seclusion. Melvin maintained that he found Hughes in late December, 1967, face-down and bloody on a dirt road not far from a brothel near Lida, Nevada. Dunmar drove him nearly 190 miles to Las Vegas, gave him pocket change, and dropped him off behind the Sands Hotel.

“`The so-called Mormon will also named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a beneficiary of 1/16 share of the Hughes estate after he died in 1976. The will was addressed to the president of the Mormon church. Melvin steamed it open and read the contents before taking it to the church’s headquarters.

“`Jurors and judges decided he lied. An appeals court in 2008 affirmed a Nevada state court jury’s decision thirty years earlier that found the will was a fake.

“`Melvin Dummar was 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`The It’s a Wonderful Life Museum is the location of their annual holiday festival.

“`By the way, you can pick up a copy of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History at the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum.

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“`Two library repositories are now carrying  Road to Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. Several branches of the San Francisco Public Library and main branch of Glendale Library will make my latest work available for their patrons. Five total library systems now house this latest addition of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

“`Researchers in Italy have declared The Wizard of Oz as the most influential movie ever made, with inspiration and referencing as their metric of influence. The research team came to their conclusion after analyzing more than 47,000 films across twenty-six genres using the online movie database IMDb as a source.

“`The results were printed in the journal Applied Network Science, and reveal the top twenty influential films were all made before 1980; perhaps unsurprising given that classic cinema has had time to make their mark. Star Wars and Psycho captured second and third place. Other iconic entries include Citizen Kane, Metropolis, Casablanca, Birth of a Nation, Dr. Strangelove, and Gone with the Wind.

“`Other findings had Alfred Hitchcock at the top of the directors list, with Steven Spielberg in second. Influential male actors include Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Cruise. Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in many of the Jame Bond films, and Carrie Fisher were the winning female actors.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Ken Berry was a likable actor, best known for starring roles in F-Troop, Mayberry R. F. D., and Mama’s Family. His live stage dance routines were rousing, and he was often compared to Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly.

“`Berry’s career began when he caught the attention of big band leader Horace Heidt, who asked the teen to join his traveling performance ensemble. Ken eventually joined the army and was under the command of Leonard Nimoy, who formed a military entertainment tour. This led to an appearance on Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town just before he left the army.

“`Traveling to Hollywood, Berry caught the interest of Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures. At the latter studio, Berry took full advantage of the talent development program, and later, under the G. I. Bill of Rights, he took jazz dance, ballet, vocal and additional acting classes.

“`In 1956, after being released from Universal, Berry traveled to Las Vegas where he opened for Abbott and Costello in a stage act. A year later, he won the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts contest. Ken had early success with a recurring role on Dr. Kildare.           KEN BERRY –>

“`Carole Burnett and Lucille Ball friendship helped Berry guest-star in many television shows, including Burke’s Law, The Ann Southern Show, The Lucy Show, Hazel, Combat!, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In, Medical Center, Fantasy Island, CHiPs, The Brady Bunch, The Love Boat, and The Golden Girls. He was a frequent guest on many variety programs and game shows. His cinematic career was brief with notable parts in Two for the Seesaw and Herbie Rides Again. Ken lost a chance to play opposite Francis the Talking Mule to Mickey Rooney.

“`Ken Berry was eighty-five.

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“`The Forgotten Hollywood Book Series has a new home at Broadway Video. It is located at 3401 East Broadway in Long Beach, CA. I invite you to pick up copies of my entire series of paperbacks.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

“`George H. W. Bush was the patriarch of a modern legislative dynasty. His political career included stints as a Congressman, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Ambassador, Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President, and President. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former chief executive in history.  His eldest child served two terms in the White House, and his second son became a popular Governor in Florida. His father was a former Senator from Connecticut.

“`Serving a harrowing four years in the military during World War II, Bush returned to marry his sweetheart Barbara. After his service, George attended Yale University, and became the captain of his baseball team. Upon graduation, he went into the oil business.

“`His political resume is unsurpassed in its depth. The turning point in his legacy was when Ronald Reagan chose Bush as his running mate in the 1980 campaign for President. George served two terms as Vice President. He succeed Reagan as the forty-first President in 1988.

“`During his one term, Bush oversaw a pro-democracy struggle in China culminating with the grotesque massacre at Tiananmen Square; the dissolution of the Soviet Union precipitated by the destruction of the Berlin Wall; and the Gulf War campaign after Iraq invaded Kuwait.

“`President Bush attention to voluntary service as a way of solving some of America’s serious social problems. He used the thousand points of light theme to describe the power of citizens to solve community problems. In 1990, the Points of Light Foundation was created as the nonprofit organization in Washington to promote the spirit of volunteerism. He also facilitated the creation of the American Disabilities Act, a major civil rights effort.

“`He lost his bid for a second term to Bill Clinton. The two opponents eventually became close friends. Clinton often called the elder Bush during his term in office for advice and counsel. In post-presidency,  they together worked on humanitarian causes with an appropriate measure of civility.

“`In retirement, George lived to see his son become President, and another lose a bid in the primaries. He was a witness to the eventual fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. And, he made the parachute jump from a helicopter at the age of ninety. On January 10, 2009, father and son, both former Presidents, were present at the commissioning of USS George H. W. Bush. Sadly, Bush outlived his childhood sweetheart and bride of seventy-three years. He was recently visited by Barack Obama, who stopped by just three days ago.

“`President George H. W. (Poppy) Bush (above) was ninety-four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

“`Rita Moreno recently announced that she will not only be starring in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, but she will also be an executive producer for the film. She will play the part of Valentina, a re-worked version of Doc, the owner of the corner store where Tony works.

“`The Puerto Rican actress captured the souls of audiences with her performance as Anita in the 1961 version of West Side Story, a role which landed her an Academy Award. Moreno is one of a handful of actresses to win a Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony.               RITA MORENO –>

“`Spielberg envisioned Rita Moreno’s major contribution to the West Side Story remake from the beginning.  He was moved by her performance as Anita in the original version. Still, Moreno remains surprised as she returns to a seminal moment; and even more shocked that she was included by the iconic producer / director.

“`This update of West Side Story, adapted by Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, will begin production next Summer. No word if Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, or Richard Beymer will also be invited to participate.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`One of the most famous Christmas carols was celebrated in honor of its  200th anniversary with a concert at the New York City church where Silent Night was initially sung in the United States, and where a priest was the first to publish an English translation of the Austrian carol. The performance of the carol was presented by Austria’s Kroll Family Singers.

“`Silent Night first debuted as a musical piece in December, 1818 with words by Joseph Mohr, and music by Franz Xaver Gruber, in Oberndorf, Austria.  In 1859, a priest at Trinity Church, John Freeman Young published an initial English translation of three verses of the carol. It has become one of the most recorded songs in the world, and it is regarded as a representative of Austria’s cultural heritage.

“`To mark the anniversary, Austrian tourism organizations put together a number of events in the country, including concert and exhibitions. The concert at Trinity — a historic church and tourist attraction that survived the destruction of the nearby World Trade Center in 2001 — was the only stateside event planned.  This performance was held by the Alexander Hamilton memorial in the churchyard.

“`A little perspective that compliments the upcoming yuletide season.

Manny P. here… 

“`Bernardo Bertolucci was the Oscar-winning director whose groundbreaking movies, including Last Tango In Paris and The Last Emperor.  An iconic figure in Italian cinema, Bertolucci is the one Italian filmmaker to have won the Academy Award for Best Director.

“`Bernardo was born in 1941 to a prominent family in northern Italy. His father, Attilio Bertolucci, was a well-regarded poet. He was married to British screenwriter and director Clare Peploe. BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI ->

“`In a career that stretched back to the early 1960s, Bernardo became a key figure of the extraordinary Italian new wave, but made a successful transition to large-scale Hollywood productions. An early mentor was Pier-Paolo Pasolini. Bertolucci offered technical work on Sergio Leone’s epic spaghetti western Once Upon a Time in the West.

“`Bernardo was recognized with an Oscar nomination in 1970 for Adapted Screenplay of The Conformist. Last Tango in Paris, a provocative 1973 flick starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider, it became an initial X-rated production to screen in mainstream American theaters. His 1987 film, The Last Emperor swept up a total of nine Academy Awards, winning every nominated category.

“`The provocative Bernardo Bertolucci was seventy-seven.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Nicolas Roeg was a prominent British film director, known for making provocative movies, and working with rock icons Mick Jagger and David Bowie over a six-decade career. His work included Performance, Don’t Look Now, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

NICOLAS ROEG

“`Born in London, Nicolas became a director after reaching acclaim as a cinematographer. He began his career as an editing apprentice in 1947. Most of his noted assignments came when Roeg was behind the camera such as Lawrence of Arabia, Far from the Madding Crowd, Dr. Zhivago, Fahrenheit 451, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Casino Royale.

“`Roeg pioneered an idiosyncratic visual and narrative style, characterized by the dizzying use of disjointed and disorientating editing. He influenced future filmmakers, including Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh, and Danny Boyle.

“`Nicolas Roeg was ninety.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Black Friday and Cyber Monday is approaching. Here is a great gift-giving idea for family and friends:  The Forgotten Hollywood Book Series!

“`Copy-and-paste the Amazon links to pick up a copy (or three)…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948963086/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536759026&sr=8-1&keywords=road+to+forgotten+hollywood

http://www.amazon.com/Son-Forgotten-Hollywood-History/dp/1937454142/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326436846&sr=1-1

“`The paperbacks feature fifty-six chapters intersecting Hollywood Golden Age history and Americana. If you love Turner Classic Movies, you will enjoy the Forgotten Hollywood series of books.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`The historic St. George Theatre in Staten Island has announced that it will host its first classic movie series next year to coincide with its ninetieth anniversary. Here is the lineup:

“`Completed in 1929 by architect Eugene DeRosa and the dean of Staten Island architects, James Whitford, this 2,876-seat St. George Theatre was originally home to vaudevillians. It first opened on December 4, 1929, with the film premiere of So This is College starring Robert Montgomery. The theater screened thousands of first-run movies until 1977.

“`In 2004, Rosemary Cappozalo, Luanne Sorrentino, and Doreen Cugno began a not-for-profit organization to save the historic theater from destruction, and restore it to its original beauty.

“`Enjoy if you live New York City area.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

“`Two Academy Awards for Best Picture will be up for sale in a rare auction of Oscars. Profiles in History has just announced that statuettes awarded to  Mutiny on the Bounty in 1936 and another handed to Gentleman’s Agreement in 1948 are up for auction in Los Angeles starting on December 11th. Hans Dreier’s art-direction Oscar for 1950’s Sunset Boulevard is additionally there to be purchased by the highest bidder.

“`The Bounty statuette is expected to go for up to $300,000. Frank Capra presented it to Irving Thalberg at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles when the Academy Awards were less than ten years old. The award is being put up for sale for the first time by the family of Thalberg, an essential figure in the early history of Hollywood.

“`The Oscar for Gentleman’s Agreement, the 1947 film starring Gregory Peck that took on anti-Semitism and won three awards, is expected to fetch around $200,000. Its seller remains anonymous.

“`Auctions of Oscar statuettes are very uncommon because winners from 1951 have had to agree that they or their heirs must offer to sell it back to the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for one dollar before they can offer it to anybody. Every once in a while, Oscars beyond the reach of the rules go up for sale and sell for large sums of money.

“`The late Michael Jackson acquired David O. Selznick’s  Gone With the Wind Best Picture statuette for a record $1.5 million in 1999. Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane screenplay statuette sold for almost a million in 2011.

“`A rare chance to own a real Academy Award presented to filmmakers from Hollywood’s past is worth pursuing.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Libraries throughout the nation are gobbling up copies of my latest paperback:  Road to Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. This is indeed exciting news!

“`In Southern California, my latest work can be found in five branches of the Los Angeles County Library system, including in East Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Rowland Heights, Quartz Hill near Lancaster, and the Angelo M. Iacoboni Library in Lakewood.

“`The Kewanee Public Library is a Carnegie library, and it is located in the Northwest area of Illinois. This particular repository now carries all three books in the Forgotten Hollywood series.

“`My newest paperback can now be found in nine libraries from coast-to-coast.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`William Goldman was the screenwriter who won Academy Awards for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.  Bill penned a litany of box-office hits, plus he carved out some of the most indelible phrases in cinematic history. Goldman coined Follow the money for the Deep Throat character; and also, As you wish, Inconceivable, and Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya… You killed my father… Prepare to die! from  The Princess Bride. He had written the fantasy story under an assumed name.

            WILLIAM GOLDMAN

“`Goldman launched his career as a novelist after receiving a master’s degree in English from Columbia University in 1956. He became a screenwriter after actor Cliff Robertson read one of his books, No Way to Treat a Lady, and mistakenly thought it was a film treatment. This happy accident led to the scribe writing the screenplay Harper for Paul Newman. After Butch Cassidy, Bill started a long association with Robert Redford. The collaborative scripts included The Hot Rock, The Great Waldo Pepper, and Indecent Proposal.

“`A number of screenplays emerged:  The Stepford Wives, Marathon Man, A Bridge Too Far, Misery, Chaplin, and Absolute Power. He was also a consultant for A Few Good Men and Good Will Hunting.

“`Despite all of his success as a screenwriter, Goldman always considered himself a novelist. He did not rate movie scripts as great artistic achievements. Hollywood historians and critics disagree, noting that his work proved otherwise.

“`William Goldman was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`A mural was created in 2016 to honor Ava Gardner and the historic Ambassador Hotel and Cocoanut Grove. In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, a presidential candidate, was murdered at the Ambassador after winning the California Primary. Currently, the location is the site of the Robert F. Kennedy School.

“`The mural image created by Beau Stanton depicts the profile of Gardner, a major star during Hollywood’s Golden Age, and the architectural elements and ornaments from the original site’s brass doors, moorish arches, columns, and palms. This might be a feel-good story; however…

“`Asian groups are demanding the mural be removed  because the background resembles the Rising Sun Flag, Japan’s militaristic symbol during the twentieth century. It was primarily used by the military of Imperial Japan and its Self Defense Forces.  This is thought to be extremely offensive in countries formally subjected to Japanese imperialism. Allied nations are reminded of Japan’s former war crimes, as well. The flag has been compared to the Nazi swastika.

“`For his part, Stanton says he had zero intention to recreate a symbol of repression and hate. The artist did not want to be in the eye of a controversy. However, Beau argues that the mural should stay for its artistic interpretation of a classic film star and the legacy of an iconic locale.

“`School officials will consider the official complaint and make a decision on whether to keep or remove the mural.

“`Bulletins as they break…

Until next time>                               “never forget”