Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are coming together to present Gone With the Wind: The 75th Anniversary Celebration in select movie theaters nationwide on Sunday, September 28th and Wednesday, October 1st. Celebrate 75 years of this quintessential Hollywood classic by experiencing the story behind the story, and understanding how this 10-time Academy Award-winning masterpiece came to be (and its historical significance).

   Take a good look my dear. It’s a historic moment. You can tell your grandchildren about how you watched the Old South fall one night.

   This fully re-mastered presentation will include a specially produced introduction TCM host Robert Osborne. Screenings will be each day at 2p and 7p, local time. You can find theaters, and purchase tickets for this event from the Fathom Events website (cut and paste the link below), or check with your local theater about screenings.

http://www.fathomevents.com/event/gone-with-the-wind-75th-anniversary

   This is one event you will not want to miss! Tomorrow is another day…

   Cue Tara’s Theme…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…    A sculpture honoring a famous snapshot of a kiss in Times Square, which brought to life New York’s impromptu celebration as World War II ended, has gone up in Normandy for a one-year visit. Cranes and construction crews in the French hamlet of Caen, this week, hoisted and locked pieces of Unconditional Surrender, a 25-foot cast-bronze statue of a sailor and nurse in a lip-locked embrace.

   This grand tribute by Seward Johnson is based on a Navy photographer’s black-and-white picture taken August 15th, 1945, according to the Sculpture Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization that owns the work. It also resembles a famous photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt of Life Magazine on that day.

   The sculpture is to spend an entire year outside the Caen Memorial, a museum focusing on the global event of the 1940s. This somber repository could use this moment in time, which was so uplifting and positive. And socially, it’s quite a cute moment in history.

   It remains a symbol and hope for a free people.

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Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Polly Bergen was an actress, singer, television host, and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her lead performance in The Helen Morgan Story. For her stage work, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical as Carlotta Campion in Follies in 2001. Her film work included the original Cape Fear and 1963’s The Caretakers, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. And, she played a fictional president opposite Fred MacMurray in Kisses for My President.

   Alternating between television and motion pictures for much of her career, Bergen had roles in three Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy films: At War with the Army, That’s My Boy, and The Stooge. She was a regular panelist on the CBS game show, To Tell the Truth, during its original run. She also hosted her own variety show for one season, The Polly Bergen Show. She co-starred with Doris Day and James Garner in the film comedy, Move Over Darling. And, Polly earned an Emmy nomination for her role as the wife of Capt. “Pug” Henry (played by Robert Mitchum), in two ABC miniseries, The Winds of War, and its sequel, War and Remembrance.                POLLY BERGEN ————>

   Other guest stints on the small screen included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a panelist on What’s My Line, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Murder She Wrote, Jake and the Fatman, and Touched by an Angel. More recently, Bergen appeared as on HBO’s The Sopranos, the former fictional mistress of Tony Soprano’s father, and John F. Kennedy. She had a guest role in Desperate Housewives, which earned her another Emmy nomination.

   Other endeavors kept her busy. Signed to Columbia Records, she enjoyed a successful recording career in the 1950s. Bergen also was known as The Pepsi Cola Girl, having done a series of commercials for that product. She walked out of early contracts with Paramount and MGM because she thought her film roles were inadequate. As a celebrated author, she wrote three books on beauty, fashion, and charm.

   A little dynamo, Polly Bergen was 84.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I’m thrilled to be an Author Sponsor at this year’s 2nd Annual Lit Crawl LA: NoHo. My enthusiastic endorsement of one of largest literary confabs of the year displays my confidence in this major event to be held on the evening of Wednesday, October 22nd.

   According to their website:

Los Angeles’ debut Lit Crawl LA: NoHo in 2013 was an amazing success with 2,000 people attending and a score of NoHo Arts District business hosting amazing readings and literary performances. This international phenomenon returns this fall with the 2nd Annual Lit Crawl LA: NoHo on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 7p to 11:00p. Mark your calendars now! Restaurants, hair salons, bars, galleries, and other hip NoHo venues will host an evening of innovative presentations with the best of L.A.’s literary scene sampling from throughout Los Angeles County. 2014′s Lit Crawl LA: NoHo will be greater Los Angeles’ grassroots literary event and promises to be another magical, vibrant night for all!

The lit crawl concept was birthed as the closing night of San Francisco’s annual Litquake festival in 2006, which is tremendously popular and to this day attracts thousands of guests, annually. San Francisco’s Litquake literary festival runs October 11th-19th, 2014 with other annual Lit Crawls in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Seattle, Iowa City, Austin, London, and Miami.

Los Angeles is home to one of the largest and most diverse literary scenes in the world. An incredible array of local reading series and literary organizations are expected to participate in 2014′s Lit Crawl LA: NoHo for a uniquely Los Angeles literary night.

Lit Crawl LA: NoHo is a project of the Pasadena Arts Council EMERGE Fiscal Sponsorship program, and is also a project of the Litquake Foundation. And, Lit Crawl LA: NoHo is presented in cooperation with the NoHo Arts District  of the Business Improvement District.

   For a complete schedule of the 2014 version of Lit Crawl LA: NoHo, copy and paste the following links below:

http://litcrawl.org/la/schedule/

http://litcrawl.org/la/supporters/author-sponsors/

   You can pick up your personal copies of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History and Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History on Amazon.

   Spend a splendid evening that is sure to become Southern California’s major Autumn social gathering!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

The Ava Gardner Film Festival is growing to become the go-to event in North Carolina each Fall. Here are the details…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   TONIGHT the journey begins!

   THE ROOSEVELTS: AN INTIMATE HISTORY chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of the most prominent and influential family in American politics. It’s the initial time in a major documentary television series their individual stories have been interwoven into a single narrative  This seven-part, fourteen hour film follows this political dynasty for over a century, from Theodore’s birth in 1858 to Eleanor’s death in 1962.

   It’s produced by Ken Burns for PBS. Actors such as Meryl Streep, Edward Hermann, Paul Giamatti, Eli Wallach, and John Lithgow are vocally featured. Also interviewed — George Will, Doris Kearns Goodwin, H.W. Brands, and David McCullough. Peter Coyote narrates the piece. The program runs all week until next Saturday.

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   Denny Miller (below) was best known for his regular role as Duke Shannon on Wagon Train, his guest-starring appearances on Gilligan’s Island, and the 1959 film version of Tarzan. For fourteen years, he also played the Gorton’s Fisherman in television commercials.

   A product of UCLA basketball, under the tutelage of John Wooden, he opted for an acting career, instead. Miller was discovered on Sunset Boulevard by a Hollywood agent who signed him with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His screen test was directed by George Cukor. Though his favorite assignment was in The Party, starring Peter Sellers, the majority or work came from the small screen, appearing in The Rifleman, Have Gun Will Travel, The High Chaparral, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch, Alice, Magnum P.I., Hawaii 5-0, Quincy M.E., and Battlestar Galactica.

   Denny Miller was 80.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Old Town Music Hall now has a new and improved projection system that replaces their old projector which had an untimely meltdown. The picture quality of the new projector is truly spectacular. Now, they need to raise $5,000 to help cover the cost of this unexpected snafu.

   If you’re able to pitch in, please CONTRIBUTE at: oldtownmusichall.org/contribute or mail a check to 140 Richmond Street, El Segundo CA 90245. You can earmark your generous offer for the projector fund — and as always, the donation is fully tax-deductible.

   Their operations are not supported by ticket prices alone. They rely on the generosity of friends like you to support our weekly programming and concerts, and to maintain the Mighty Wurlitzer and the Bösendorfer concert grand piano.

   They THANK YOU for your ongoing support in keeping this non-profit theater alive. Old Town Music Hall is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is fully tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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   Theatre, film, and television actor, Sir Donald Sinden, has died at his home following a long illness. He made his name on stage as a Shakespearean and West End actor, and he appeared in more than seventy cinematic and small screen productions. Although renowned for his live work, he was arguably best known for his roles in the sitcom Never the Twain and the BBC legal drama Judge John Deed.

   Sir Donald trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He was the last person living to have known Oscar Wilde’s lover Lord Alfred Douglas, and was one of only two people to attend his funeral. In 1949, Sinden appeared in The Heiress at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket opposite Ralph Richardson and Peggy Ashcroft, and directed by John Gielgud. Achieving early fame as a Rank Organisation motion picture star in the 1950s, he was notably cast in Mogambo (the remake of Red Dust) and The Day of the Jackal.

   Sinden was appointed a CBE in 1979, and then knighted in 1997 for his services to drama. He celebrated his 89th birthday, and his retirement after thirty years as the longest-standing President of the Royal Theatrical Fund (founded by Charles Dickens in 1839) with a celebration lunch for 350 guests at the Park Lane Hotel. Leading the tributes was film star Jean Kent, letters from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Albert of Monaco, and a speech from Julian Fellowes.

   The Society of London Theatre has announced that the West End will dim its lights in the actor’s memory. Sir Donald Sinden was 90.

 Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Richard Kiel was a tall thespian, best remembered for his roles in Wild Wild West, and as Jaws (below) in the James Bond series of motion pictures, including The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker. He was also well known as Mr. Larson in the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore.

   The 7+ foot actor made his acting debut in television Westerns, such as Laramie and The Rifleman. His first familiar performance was as the extraterrestrial Kanamit (right) in the To Serve Man episode of The Twilight Zone. Other small screen appearances included Honey West, My Mother the Car, The Monkees, I Dream of Jeannie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, Gilligan’s Island, Daniel Boone, Starsky and Hutch, The Greatest American Hero, Simon & Simon, and The Incredible Hulk.

   He was comfortable in motion pictures — in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, House of the Damned, The Nutty Professor, The Longest Yard, Silver Streak, Force 10 From Navarone, Cannonball Run II, and Pale Rider. But, Richard was so popular as a villain in James Bond flicks, he reprised his role in Inspector Gadget two decade later. His voice and likeness were also captured for the 007-related video games. His last assignment was in the animated Disney feature, Tangled.

   Kiel co-authored a biography of the abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay called Kentucky Lion. He was also a born-again Christian. His religious conversion helped him to overcome alcoholism.

   Richard Kiel was 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The passing of Lauren Bacall has sparked tributes in her honor. Here are the details:

~ September 10th – The Landmark will honor the actress with a couple of motion pictures:  To Have and Have Not and Murder on the Orient Express. The double feature will screen beginning at 7p. The Landmark is located at 10850 West Pico Blvd., in West Los Angeles.

~ September 15th – The Film Society Lincoln Center in New York will air two cinematic classics — To Have and Have Not and The Cobweb. They write:

Sultry, chic, and alluring, the late Lauren Bacall epitomized movie-star glamour and film noir backbone. While her most iconic roles paired her with first husband Humphrey Bogart, after his death she found that being a widow is not a profession and forged a career rich with comebacks, including her first Oscar nomination at age 72. With her seductive voice and signature look, chin held low and eyes cast upward, Lauren Bacall was among the last of the true Hollywood sirens.

HUMPHREY BOGART   LAUREN BACALL

~ September 15th and 16th – The following listing is a complete schedule for the upcoming TCM tribute to Lauren Bacall.

Monday

8p – Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall (2005)
9p – To Have and Have Not (1944)
11p – The Big Sleep (1946)
1a – How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
2:45a – Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall (2005)
3:45a – Harper (1966)

Tuesday

6a – Bright Leaf (1950)
8a – Young Man with a Horn (1950)
10a – Dark Passage (1947)
12p – Key Largo (1948)
2p – Blood Alley (1955)
4p – Sex and the Single Girl (1964)
6p – Designing Woman (1953)

   Let’s all celebrate the life and career of the remarkable Lauren Bacall!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   In true comedic fashion… Mel Brooks fashioned a fake finger as he sank his hands and feet into cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Monday — the ritual followed by decades of movie legends. His reasoned that he was having a little fun with future tourists, who might notice and wonder if the iconic writer, producer, and actor had an extra appendage. What a prankster!

   This event was held to honor Brooks for his creation of the classic movie comedies — The Producers, Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, Silent Movie, Spaceballs, My Favorite Year, as well as the television comedy classics, Your Show of Shows and Get Smart. At age 88, Brooks still has a childlike way of making the most of an opportunity to entertain a crowd.

   The ceremony was held in conjunction with yesterday’s release of Young Frankenstein on Blu-ray to mark the motion picture’s 40th anniversary. A screening of the film will take place tonight at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at 7:30p. The attendees include Brooks, Teri Garr, and Cloris Leachman. It is a sold out event hosted by Leonard Maltin.

   There is no word on what happened to the sixth finger. I’m sure Mel Brooks flipped it to the crowd! (Can I say that?)

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Andrew Victor McLaglen was a film and television director, known for his rugged location shooting, and often starring John Wayne or James Stewart. He was the son of character actor Victor McLaglen. He is widely considered to be among the last of the American film directors to specialize in the Western genre.

   Since he was from a cinematic family that included eight uncles and an aunt, he grew up on movie sets with his parents, as well as with Wayne and John Ford. After working as an assistant director on a few smaller films, Ford gave him an assistant director job on the The Quiet Man in 1952. He went on to work for The Duke’s production company. McGlaglen’s directorial assignments included Shenandoah and The Rare Breed, both with Stewart; The Devil’s Brigade and The Wild Geese, starring Richard Burton; and war or action films, his last being Return from the River Kwai. He also worked many times with Wayne in such films as McLintock!, Hellfighters, The Undefeated, Chisum, and Cahill U.S. Marshal.

   He went on to work extensively in television, prolifically directing episodes of Perry Mason, Rawhide, and 116 episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel, and 96 episodes of Gunsmoke. He even teamed with Walt Disney to direct several episodes of the Wonderful World of Color.

   Andrew Victor McLaglen was 94.

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   I’d like to thank Glory Grace for a bona fide 5-Star Review on Amazon. Here is what she had to say about Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, my first work:

Manny Pacheco has created a real gem. This book is full of delightful stories, not dry facts. Manny has a true affection for preserving the history of Hollywood with all its stars, moods and feelings. If you want to know the story behind the story or “the rest of the story,” you want to read this book.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be honored by Bryn Mawr College for her trailblazing legal career. The women’s liberal arts school near Philadelphia announced that Sotomayor will receive the 2015 Katharine Hepburn Medal, given to women who embody the intelligence, drive and independence of the Oscar-winning actress. Hepburn was a 1928 graduate of Bryn Mawr.

   KATHARINE HEPBURN      JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR

   School officials say Sotomayor shows unflinching commitment to justice and a fundamental dedication to real equality in our diverse society. Sotomayor is the first Latino on the nation’s highest court. She’ll receive the Hepburn Medal on April 17th.

   The medal is also named for the actress’ mother, Katharine Houghton Hepburn. She was an early women’s rights activist and 1900 Bryn Mawr graduate. Previous recipients include actress Lauren Bacall.

   This event embodies what I call Hollywood-and-Vine moments, when American history intersects with Hollywood.

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   Oyster offers unlimited access to over 500,000 books, with new titles added all the time. One of those eBooks is now Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, distributed primarily through Smashwords. Oyster is available for Apple iOS 7+, Android 4+, Nook HD, and Kindle Fire.

   Here is the link to purchase your eBook copy of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History:

https://www.oysterbooks.com/book/byfS2o7ffdXK5W8wcGz5uV/forgotten-hollywood-forgotten-history

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night to present an Honorary Award to Maureen O’Hara, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Harry Belafonte.  Both will be presented at the Academy’s 6th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 8th, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland Center.

MAUREEN O’HARA                     HARRY BELAFONTE

   O’Hara, a native of Dublin, Ireland, came to Hollywood in 1939 to co-star opposite Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She went on to appear in a varied range of celluloid, including swashbucklers The Black Swan and Sinbad the Sailor, family classics Miracle on 34th Street and The Parent Trap, the spy comedy Our Man in Havana, and numerous Westerns. She was a favorite of director John Ford, who cast her in five features, including How Green Was My Valley, Rio Grande and The Quiet Man.

   An actor, producer, singer and lifelong activist, Belafonte began performing in theaters and nightclubs in and around Harlem, where he was born. From the beginning of his film career, he chose projects that shed needed light on racism and inequality, including Carmen Jones, and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. He was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, marching and organizing alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and funding initiatives with his entertainment income. Belafonte was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and currently serves on the boards of the Advancement Project and the Institute for Policy Studies. His work on behalf of children, education, famine relief, AIDS awareness, and civil rights has taken him all over the world.

   The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

   Congratulations to these most worthy recipients.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The 50th Anniversary of CINECON begins on Thursday, and runs throughout the Labor Day weekend. Of course, I will be on hand for the festivities signing copies of the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. I’m excited the Loews Hollywood Hotel, located at 1755 North Highland Ave., continues to be the host hotel.

   I’ll spend Saturday from 12p-3p; and Sunday from 12p-5p outside the Dealer Rooms among fellow authors who share a passion for Hollywood’s Golden Age. For more info, click on the link below:

http://www.cinecon.org/cinecon_authors.html

   Come by and say hello… and pick up an autographed copy of one or both of my books! Happy Birthday to CINECON 50 !!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Lord Richard Attenborough was a celebrated actor, film director, film producer, and entrepreneur. He was the President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. As a filmmaker, he won two Academy Awards for Gandhi in 1983. While performing as a thespian in cinema, Attenborough is best remembered for his over-the-top performance in Jurassic Park.

   Attenborough’s acting career started on stage and he appeared in shows at Leicester’s Little Theatre, prior to his going to RADA, where he remained Patron until his death. Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred along the West End in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which went on to become the world’s longest running stage show in history. His film career began in the Noël Coward / David Lean 1942 production In Which We Serve.  RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH ->

   He served in the Royal Air Force, and afterward, became one of the best-known actors of post-War Britain. he was sought by major movie studios across the pond. Roles included The Great Escape, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Sand Pebbles, The Magic Christian, Doctor Doolittle, A Bridge Too Far, and the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (as Kris Kringle). After producing and directing Young Winston, Lord Richard decided to produce the epic story of Ghandi. When he garnered the statuettes, he took on noted projects, such as the movie version of A Chorus Line, Cry Freedom, Chaplin, and Shadowlands.

   In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976, and 17 years later, received a life peerage, becoming Baron Attenborough of Richmond upon Thames.

   Attenborough was a constant advocate for the British film industry, as well as other humanitarian causes, including his extensive work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. He was awarded a Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize in 1983. After 33 years of dedicated service as President of the Muscular Dystrophy campaign, Attenborough became the charity’s Honorary Life President in 2004. Attenborough collected Picasso ceramics from the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007. Pinewood Studios paid tribute to his body of work by naming a purpose-built film and television stage after him. The Richard Attenborough Stage has an area of 30,000 sq. ft.

   One of the finest storytellers of our time, Lord Richard Attenborough was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”