“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Puppet Master is Gone…

November 29th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   Bob Baker was a puppeteer whose marionettes have entertained thousands of children and adults worldwide for more than 70 years. The Bob Baker Marionettes have performed around the globe (even on Navy ships and submarines), with an inventory of three thousand puppets.

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   Baker (above) trained with several different Los Angeles-based companies before giving his first professional performance for director Mervyn Leroy. While attending Hollywood High School, he began manufacturing toy marionettes that sold both in Europe and the United States. After graduation he became an apprentice at the George Pal Animation Studios.

   His puppetry was featured in the 1944 Bluebeard, A Star is Born, G.I. Blues, Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His work also appeared on television in Bewitched, Star Trek, and Land of the GiantsBaker was also instrumental in championing union membership for puppeteers. As a result, Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA now recognize puppeteers as actors with a special skill.

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   The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, founded by Baker and Alton Wood in 1963, is the oldest children’s theater company in Los Angeles. In June 2009, the theater was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. The company has no plans to stop presenting shows. The theater is currently performing its holiday production of The Nutcracker through early 2015, and has two road companies plus a solo traveling show.

   Bob Baker was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- TCM and Disney are Teaming Up…

November 28th, 2014

Manny P. here…

Adco-master180    Turner Classic Movies is joining with two divisions of the Walt Disney Company for an agreement that underlines how media giants are increasingly collaborating on content-marketing efforts. TCM will help the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division make changes to the Great Movie Ride, a long-running attraction at the Hollywood Studios section of Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In return, TCM will receive Presented by on-site credits at the attraction on posters, banners, display windows, marquees, and the like, which will also display the TCM logo.

   The changes for the Disney World ride are scheduled to be introduced in the first quarter of 2015. Among the new elements will be a video featuring Robert Osborne, the host who has been the face of TCM since the channel began operations in 1994; he will identify himself as from Turner Classic Movies.

   In the other part of the deal, Walt Disney Studios will provide TCM with vintage movies, cartoons, documentaries, and episodes of several television programs, such as  Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color for an evening of family programs on the channel called Treasures from the Disney Vault.

   It will be offered by TCM roughly four to five times a year. The initial block of Disney programming is scheduled to run from 8p on December 21st through 5:15a on December 22nd. Among the nine scheduled items from the Disney archives are Santa’s Workshop, a 1932 cartoon; The Disneyland Story, in which Walt Disney himself describes in 1954 plans for the park named Disneyland that he opened in Anaheim, CA, the following year; Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier; and The Vanishing Prairie, a nature documentary.

   Someone needs to cue Tinker Bell

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Giving Thanks to Frank Yablans…

November 27th, 2014

Manny P. here…frank yablans

   Frank Yablans, a former president of Paramount Pictures in the 1970s who oversaw the release of several groundbreaking movies, has died. He was president when the studio reeled out such well-known hits as The Godfather, Chinatown, Paper Moon, and Murder on the Orient Express. He later went on to work as chief operating officer at MGM / United Artists, and co-wrote the script and produced Mommie Dearest, a biopic about movie star Joan Crawford.

   Yablans first employers in the film business included Warner Brothers, The Walt Disney Company, and Filmways. Following his presidency at Paramount, Frank became an independent producer, working primarily through Paramount and 20th Century Fox. He was executive producer of such films as Congo, Silver Streak, and The Other Side of Midnight.

    In 2003, Yablans founded Promenade Pictures, a production company committed to family-friendly entertainment, with their most ambitious project — Epic Stories of the Bible series of CGI-animated features.

   Frank Yablans was 79.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- UCLA Honors Jackie Robinson…

November 26th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   UCLA will retire number 42 across all of its sports in honor of Jackie Robinson. This was announced by UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. The university is my alma mater.

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   All three UCLA student-athletes who currently wear number 42, senior women’s soccer defender Ally Courtnall, sophomore women’s softball utility player Jelly Felix, and freshman football linebacker Kenny Young will each be able to finish out their Bruin career donning the iconic number.

   With UCLA football players wearing number 42 on their helmets and Robinson’s iconic number 42 painted onto the Rose Bowl field, UCLA made the announcement during the break between the first and second quarters of its annual crosstown rivalry football game. In conjunction with UCLA, the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Committee, the Rose Bowl subsequently unveiled Jackie Robinson’s iconic number near the east scoreboard and will make it a permanent fixture in the historic stadium this offseason.

   Additionally, UCLA will also permanently display Robinson’s iconic number 42 inside each of its athletic competition venues. The retirement of Robinson’s number 42 follows UCLA’s announcement of a series of 22 athletic and recreation facilities across campus that will be named the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex. Campus recognition of the complex will be an in-ground number 42 at each entry point to UCLA’s training centers, competition sites, fields, and stadiums as a reminder of Robinson’s courage in the face of adversity.

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   The UCLA Library carries Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. This is an accurate Hollywood-and-Vine metaphoric moment in time.

   Seventy-five years ago, Jackie Robinson claimed a place at UCLA. From 1939 to 1941, he starred in four sports. In football, Robinson played both offense and defense, returned punts, caught and threw passes, kicked extra points and in the process, earned honorable mention All-American accolades. In basketball, he twice led the Pacific Coast Conference in scoring. In track, he won the NCAA championship in the broad jump. And in baseball, he began his legendary journey as a highly-regarded shortstop for the Bruins.

   Six years later, Jackie Robinson claimed a place in history. Wearing number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, on April 15, 1947, Robinson shattered the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Despite enduring racial abuse, jeers of fans and fellow players, death threats, and profound harassment, he endured it all with grace and dignity – not to mention exceptional play – earning Rookie of the Year honors and a National League Most Valuable Player award; in addition to helping the Dodgers win the 1955 World Series. A career .311 hitter, Robinson played in six World Series, six consecutive All-Star games, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, during his first year of eligibility.

   Fighting tirelessly for civil rights and integration in professional sports after his time on the diamond, Robinson best summed up his own legacy with a typically understated yet poignant quote – A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Courageous Sum of Money…

November 25th, 2014

Manny P. here…The_Wizard_of_Oz_Bert_Lahr_1939

   Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion costume from the classic film The Wizard of Oz has fetched more than $3 million at an auction in New York City. The big feline outfit had been authenticated as the one Lahr wore in the 1939 MGM film. A face is a sculpted likeness of the star, who died in 1967.

   It sold at a transaction of Hollywood items at Bonhams Auction House on Monday. A spokesperson for costume owner James Comisar says a secondary costume used in the film was sold at auction in recent years for close to $1 million. Comisar has a trove of television memorabilia from shows including I Love Lucy and Lost. He has said he plans to use money from the Cowardly Lion costume sale to exhibit his collection.

   The Turner Classic Movies co-sponsored event also included the sale of a test dress and pinafore worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy, Garland’s evening gown from Easter Parade, and upright piano / letters of transit from Casablanca.         BERT LAHR

   letters of transit

   This is the second year TCM has partnered with Bonhams.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Stooges Emerge…

November 24th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   Stooge fans can’t help but come up winners this November 29th! It’s all happening at the Alex Film Society in Glendale, CA. The screenings will be held at 2p and 8p.

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   The theme for the 17th annual edition of this Holiday favorite, Three Slaps and Yer Out! will feature the Stooges running amuck in the wide world of sports. Included in the mayhem will be Playing The Ponies, Ants In The Pantry, A Ducking They Did Go, Grips, Grunts, And Groans, Violent Is The Word For Curly, including the famous Swingin’ the Alphabet song, and Mr. Noisy, a Shemp Howard single that has to be seen to be believed.

   So, be a sport. Come on out and join the crowd for big laffs and surprises, too. When it comes to the Stooges, we’re all athletic supporters!

Nyuk… Nyuk… Nyuk…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Death of an Iconic Director…

November 20th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   Mike Nichols was a television, stage, and film director, writer, producer, and comedian. In 1968, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate. His other films include Catch-22, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood, Working Girl, The BirdcageCharlie Wilson’s War (his last picture). He staged original theatrical productions of Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Coupleand Spamalot.

   The Berlin-born Nichols lost his hair at age 4 from a reaction to an inoculation for whooping cough, and wore wigs for the rest of his life. In April 1939, when the Nazis were arresting Jews, seven-year-old Mikhail and his three-year-old brother Robert were sent alone to America to meet up with their father, who had fled months earlier. His mother eventually joined the family, escaping through Italy in 1940. Nichols became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1944.

   In 1954, Nichols dropped out of the University of Chicago and moved back to New York City, where he was accepted into the Actors Studio and studied under Lee Strasberg. He began his career in the 1950s with the improvisational troupe, the Compass Players, predecessor of the Second City in Chicago, and as one half of the comedy duo Mike Nichols and Elaine May.

   Nichols was one of a small group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. Other honors include the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. He married ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer in 1988.

   The amazing Mike Nichols was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Extensive Poster Collection Auction

November 19th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   A massive single-owner collection of vintage movie posters covering the entire history of feature films — from 1907 to the present — is going on the auction block as one lot next month. It belongs to Morris Everett Jr., who began collecting posters and lobby cards 53 years ago. He’s parting with them on December 17th at Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas, California.

   Everett, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and owns a New York City movie photo leasing company, said his collecting passion began as a student at the University of Virginia, sparked by a fellow student who had a fabulous small photo collection of such Hollywood’s legends as Bette Davis and Myrna Loy. On spring break in 1961, Everett found himself buying two posters at Movie Star News, a New York City landmark of movie stills, posters, and negatives that closed its doors two years ago. He started small, focusing on 20 film stars including his favorite, Natalie Wood. Then he saw an ad in a collectors’ magazine for 6,000 original movie photos from the 1920s and 1930s which he purchased for around $400. He continued to buy at conventions, auctions, from dealers and stores, until he amassed a collection totaling 196,000 posters and lobby cards representing 44,000 titles for some of Hollywood’s greatest films.

Movie Poster Collection Auction

   The single most valuable piece in the collection is a lobby card of the 1927 silent movie and science-fiction epic Metropolis. Nearly as valuable is a poster of Babe Ruth from the 1927 Babe Comes Home. Other rarities include lobby cards or posters for The Wizard of Oz, both the one from 1939 starring Judy Garland and a 1925 version with Oliver Hardy, and King Kong. There are posters from early Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin movies and classics like Gone With the Wind and Casablanca. The collection also contains near-complete career runs on major cinema icons Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Lon Chaney, Greta Garbo, and countless others.

   Likely buyers would be advanced genre collectors, historical institutions, well-informed dealers, or other memorabilia auction houses. The real value is in keeping the collection together as it dates to a dawn of the narrative of American cinema, the birth of feature films.

   I agree…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Critic Charles Champlin Had Died…

November 17th, 2014

Manny P. here…la-me-charles-champlin-desk-photo-20141117

   Charles Champlin was a motion picture critic and writer. He was a correspondent for LIFE and TIME Magazine for seventeen years, and was a member of the Overseas Press Club. Champlin joined the Los Angeles Times as entertainment editor and columnist in 1965, and was its principal film critic from 1967 to 1980, and wrote book reviews and a regular column titled Critic at Large. He was a founder of the LA Film Critics Association, and has been a board member of the American Cinematheque.      CHARLES CHAMPLIN ————>

   Champlin’s television career began in 1971 when he hosted the weekly Film Odyssey on PBS, introducing classic films and interviewing major directors. He has interviewed hundreds of film personalities, first on the Z Channel’s On the Film Scene in Los Angeles, then with Champlin on Film on Bravo Cable. As a film critic, Champlin had many fans among the elite of Hollywood, including actor Jack Lemmon. Director Arthur Hiller, then-president of the Directors Guild of America, offered his praise in 1992, when Champlin received an honorary Life Member Award from the guild.

   Champlin once estimated that he saw 250 movies a year and reviewed half of them. He taught film criticism at Loyola Marymount University from 1969 to 1985, and was an adjunct professor of film at USC from 1985 to 1996; and has also taught at UC Irvine and the AFI Conservatory. He graduated from Harvard University in 1948.

    He served in the infantry in Europe in World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart and battle stars.

   Charles Champlin was 88.

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Forgotten Hollywood cover   Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History can be found in a new institution of higher learning. Fordham University at the Lincoln Center is a close-knit intellectual community of faculty and students located in the heart of New York City, conducted in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition of education. Their Quinn Library now carries the paperback on their shelves. It’s the 88th repository of books, and the 106th overall, of the Forgotten Hollywood book series.

   Notables who have attended this fine school: Andrew Cuomo, Vin Scully, G. Gordon Liddy, Charles Osgood, Vince Lombardi,  Denzel Washington, Alan Alda, Geraldine Ferraro, Dylan McDermott, and Bob Keeshan (better known as television’s Captain Kangaroo). Also, Virginia O’Hanlon, who as a youngster, wrote a letter to the New York Sun that prompted the famous response, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Trip to Corriganville…

November 14th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   To celebrate an early birthday, my folks and my sister took me Corrigan’s Steakhouse in Thousand Oaks. It was established by the brother of noted movie star, Ray Crash Corrigan. He was an actor most famous for appearing in Western movies, and operating Corriganville — one of America’s top tourist destinations in the 1950s. Bob Hope bought the ranch in 1966 and renamed it Hopetown, it is now a regional park and nature preserve.

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   The story of Corriganville is best told by the man, himself:

Howdy Folks,

My name is Ray “Crash” Corrigan. I’d like to tell you the story of my life.

ray_crash_corriganIt all starts back in the 1930’s, when I was a physical culturist, and my job was to keep the stars of Motion Pictures in good condition. One day, while helping Dolores Del Rio, Cedric Gibbons of MGM spotted me and offered me a chance to go into pictures. Sounded all right to me, and soon I was a swimming and stunt double for the Tarzan movies. Eventually I graduated to bigger and better parts, and between MGM and other studios, I acted in over thirty films before signing with Republic Studios. At Republic, they starred me in three serials, Darkest Africa, The Undersea Kingdom, and The Painted Stallion. Incidentally, The Undersea Kingdom grossed over $50,000,000. Soon after, I became known as “Tuscon Smith” while starring in The Three Mesquiteers. We also made 24 of these films, and soon after, I was signed by Monogram Studios, who gave me the starring role in The Range Busters. They also made 24 of these. Since my career at Monogram, I have been lucky to be either starred, or featured, in over thirty films for various studios. But I am digressing… forgive me!

During the time I was making one of The Three Mesquiteers, and needing a change of pace, I went on a hunting trip. I always did like to hunt. While on this hunting trip, I stumbled on this picturesque and peaceful spot in the Simi Valley.

These were the years when motion pictures had problems. Their problems were that they needed fresh ideas, new faces, and different locations. Realizing this, thousands rushed to Hollywood. Already a carryover from the historic old west, this Simi Valley soon echoed once again to gunshots, racing stage coaches, pitched fights between the “goodies” and the “baddies.” It was a time when the wildest stunts brought the biggest box office; when western heroes wore ten gallon hats, and the “bad guys” wore black hats, blazing a trail of dirty deeds. Yet, it wasn’t long before motion pictures matured.

In 1937, I bought this ranch, all 2,000 acres that is now the Corriganville Movie Ranch. I built my home here, and just plain enjoyed the ranch with time out to star in motion pictures. The film companies soon began to realize that the ranch offered such a wide variety of terrain, including lakes, mountains, mines, caves, villages, and other attractive facilities. They took advantage of its historic western heritage, and up to the present time, over 3,500 films and television series have used the ranch at one time or another.

Shortly after securing the ranch, I realized that it seemed a shame not to share this “last living frontier” with others. Well, I decided to do something about it. Yep, you’re right, I opened up the place for everyone to enjoy. Instead of the Ray Corrigan Ranch, it became known as Corriganville, where finally the mayor, sheriff, fire marshal, and editor of the Corriganville Gazette were all one man… yours truly. Almost forgot that I’m the postmaster, too. The United States Post Office realized that we are really a town, and you’ll find Corriganville, California in every post office directory throughout the world.

You know, folks who come to Corriganville say that this place is timeless, and I guess they’re right. It stands as an epitaph to an era, so rich in romance, so wild in adventure, that it has captured the hearts of many. Jesse James, General Custer, William H. Bonney (Alias Billy the Kid), are all gone, but Corriganville is still one place that exists to remind us of those days.

CorriganvilleHCWhile at Corriganville, I sure hope you enjoy the many historic and scenic spots, and that you will be thrilled by the live re-recreations which are enacted on our “Silvertown” western street. These events (a different one every half hour) and others occur all day long. The actors and our entire staff will do their utmost to make your day worthwhile. As your host, I also pledge myself to do everything in my power to make your visit to Corriganville a memorable one.

Well, so long, and thank you for listening to my writings… and I hope to see you in person at Corriganville.

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Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- 100 Years of Tyrone Power…

November 13th, 2014

Manny P. here…

Tyrone_Power_1946   The Hollywood Museum  debuts Tyrone Power: Man, Myth & Movie Idolcelebrating the stage and screen idol of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and his centennial birthday year with an intimate retrospective curated in collaboration with his son, Tyrone Power, Jr. This special exhibition will take an inside look at the life and career of the handsome star of over fifty films, best known for his swashbuckler roles, romantic leads, and striking good looks. Tyrone Power (right) exhibit is on display November 14th through January 11th, 2015, in the Historic Max Factor Building located at 1660 North Highland Ave., along Hollywood Blvd.

   Power was one of the top male sex symbols of Hollywood’s golden era, from 1936 to 1958. He became an overnight sensation at just 22 years old and made more than 50 films during his career. Six months after his breakout role in Lloyd’s of London, his hand and footprints were memorialized in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Power was nicknamed as King of 20th Century Fox Studios.

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   Highlights of the exhibition includes:

* Costumes worn by Power include the iconic matador suit of lights from Blood and Sand; embroidered pants from The Mark of Zorro; black hat with red feathers from Captain from Castile; black tailcoat with silver buttons from Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake; navy suit from The Luck of the Irish and much more.

* Costumes worn by Power’s co-stars include a black gown worn by Maureen O’Hara in The Long Gray Line; a pink brocade gown worn by Wanda Hendrix in Prince of Foxes; a silk with fur trim jacket and gown worn by Gene Tierney in That Wonderful Urge; a red sequin costume worn by Coleen Gray in Nightmare Alley; a chartreuse ball gown from Marie Antoinette starring Norma Shearer; a vest worn by Don Ameche from In Old Chicago, among many others.

* Behind the scenes in Hollywood include Power’s silk brocade dressing gown; personal mementos and photos provide a private look at his many romances, three marriages, cars, friends, and family.

* Hollywood History – Power kept a copy of scripts from all of his movies. The exhibit includes scripts from The Razor’s Edge, Blood and Sand, and three 1937 films: Thin Ice, Love Is News, and In Old Chicago. This collection also includes lobby cards, posters, press kits, press books and sheet music from songs in his many films.

   Personal collectors include Tyrone Power, Jr., Taryn Power, Romina Power, Maria Ciaccia, Debbie Beno, Cindra Reaume Webber, and the Hollywood Museum archives.

   What a great way to say happy 100th birthday to our dear friend… Ty Power.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Academy Abides…

November 8th, 2014

Manny P. here…

   A word from our sponsor:

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   The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences established the Governors Awards in 2009 as an un-televised celebration of its honorary Oscar winners. The Academy’s Board of Governors, comprising representatives of all 17 branches, selects honorary Oscar winners. All four honorees are expected to attend the ceremony in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.

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Forgotten Hollywood Documentary Logo - new   Baker & Taylor is one of the major distributors of literary works across the United States. Blio is the world’s most advanced and engaging e-reader software application. Built on state-of-the-art video gaming technology, this three-dimensional, interactive application works across platforms and devices – from Windows to Mac, from iPhone to desktop. Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is now distributed through this innovated channel.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- So Cal Rotary Mad About the Books…

November 6th, 2014

Manny P. here…rotary3wheels

   By next April, I’ll have visited over 60 local chapters of Rotary International. Over the last 18 months, Rotarians have shown their support of my presentation, which ties Hollywood history, American history and Rotary history; all part of what I call Forgotten Hollywood. Though I have visited chapters in Chicago and Nevada, most of my trips have taken place throughout Southern California.

   I have seven locations lined up in areas that cover 4 counties: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach folks of a certain age who might be interested in the nostalgic aspects of my franchise that includes a book series, weekly radio show, blog site, and documentary, currently in production. Here is the latest lineup:

~ Los Angeles County Arcadia, Burbank, Palos Verdes

~ Orange CountyGarden Grove, Anaheim

~ Ventura CountyVentura

~ San Diego CountyOceanside (El Camino Real)

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   Lately, this number of assignments continues to grow. Plus… I will return in December to the Hollywood Heritage Museum for an annual celebration they call Afternoon with the Authors in December. This is a great opportunity to pick up copies of autographed books as unique and special Holiday gifts.

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   Smashwords has a new eBook distributor. OverDrive delivers in  the READ format; it now distributes Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History on their site. You can enjoy OverDrive through your local library or school. Copy and paste on the following link:

https://www.overdrive.com/media/1601932/forgotten-hollywood-forgotten-history

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- TCM Goes Early Bird with Film Fest…

November 3rd, 2014

Manny P. here…  tcm-2015-v2

   Join TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz and thousands of classic film fans in the heart of Hollywood next March 26th-29th for the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival!

   This year’s main theme mirrors the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series and franchise that includes this site, a weekly radio show, and a documentary currently in production, History According to Hollywood, will explore how filmmakers have often created works about the past that are a reflection of the period in which they were made, or change facts to suit a particular storyline. They invite you and movie lovers from around the world to join us to create our own history as we gather in Hollywood for the 6th annual TCM Classic Film Festival next March.

1939-The-Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame   As part of our historical exploration they are thrilled to announce the first four world premiere restorations that will be shown at the Festival:

APOLLO 13 (1995) – Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, and Bill Paxton star in director Ron Howard’s extraordinary chronicle of the failed Apollo 13 lunar mission and the efforts to bring the astronauts home safely.

~ THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939) – Charles Laughton plays Victor Hugo’s tragic Quasimodo and Maureen O’Hara stars as Esmeralda in director William Dieterle’s lavish production of the oft-told tale.

Keaton_Steamboat_Bill_Jr_1928~ SPARTACUS (1960) – Kirk Douglas plays the title role, and served as producer on Stanley Kubrick’s engrossing tale, of a slave who became a gladiator and went on to challenge the might of the Roman Empire.

~ STEAMBOAT BILLJR. (1928) – Presented with composer Carl Davis conducting a live, world premiere performance of his new score. Buster Keaton stars as the son of a paddle-steamer captain in love with the daughter of his father’s business rival in this dazzling silent comedy.

   Mark your calendar as a limited number of 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival passes will also be available to Citi card members via an exclusive online only presale at https://www.citiprivatepass.com/. This exclusive presale begins at 10a (ET), Tuesday, November 11th and ends at 10a (ET), Thursday, November 13th. Passes for 2015 TCM Classic Film Fest go on sale to the public at http://www.tcm.com/festival at 12p (ET), Thursday, November 13th, 2014!

Until next time>                               “never forget”