“Forgotten Hollywood”- Much Ado…

September 25th, 2018

Manny P. here… 

“`The famed Oregon Shakespeare Festival that attracts folks from around the world has lost two million dollars this summer, because wildfire smoke forced it to cancel more than two dozen outdoor performances. The fest in Ashland, Oregon had to cancel twenty-six outdoor performances beginning in July and running through earlier this month. That is more canceled shows than in five previous seasons combined.

“`The Tony Award-winning  Oregon Shakespeare Festival is one of the oldest and most iconic professional nonprofit theaters in the nation. It offers outdoor showings of Shakespeare’s plays performed in a venue similar to what his contemporary audiences would have experienced, but it also offers other types of theater in indoor performance halls.

“`The fest has previously dealt with wildfires. Climate change has now extended each wildfire season and makes blazes bigger and more destructive, threatening to make air quality worse. Not included in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s calculations is how much revenue was lost from would-be tourists who simply stayed away, given the smoky conditions.

“`Next season, organizers of the fest plans to open an alternate indoor venue from July 30th to September 8th — peak wildfire season.

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“`Dunkin’ is dropping donuts from its name. Donuts are still on the menu, but this branding change will reflect their increasing emphasis on coffee and other drinks, which make up sixty percent of its sales. The name change will officially take place in January. A new logo will still display Dunkin’ Donuts rounded orange-and-pink color scheme, which they have used since 1973.

“`Dunkin’ joins other companies that have recently altered their brands, including KFC and IHOP (IHOb).

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- East Bound and Down…

September 24th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`The Eastbound and Down Burt Reynolds Memorial Convoy will line up September 30th at 12p in the Texarkana Convention Center parking lot. Advanced registration will not be required. Currently, there are over forty-eight big rigs expected.

“`If you wish to make the full run from Texarkana to Atlanta, you need to be available for the ten hour-planned route along I-20.  A map of planned stops will be distributed when the convoy leaves the lot.

“`You may arrive Saturday evening and park in the Convention Center lot. They have a total day of events planned with the Mayors’ Proclamation at noon that is completely free for CDL Drivers. Festivities include a performance by Canadian country group The Road Hammers, a comedy show, and three Burt Reynolds films that were chosen by truckers in a poll.

“`The planned route takes you on I-30 East to I-49 South to I-220 East to I-20 East. The final destination will be a truck stop in Atlanta.  It is a fitting event that is recognized by the city of Texarkana, Burt’s family and manager, the media, and the trucking industry.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Rising Tide of Fear…

September 23rd, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Floodwaters have continued to rise on portions of Carolina rivers a full week after the arrival of Hurricane Florence. Wilmington, North Carolina, and other communities near the coast, are bracing for another surge of rising water. Levels along the Cape Fear River at Wilmington may approach record levels.

“`Cape Fear celebrated its name especially after the scope of damage caused from flooding. An earlier reason for infamous attention of the aptly named area is due to a pair of movies, whose backdrop takes place in the coastal North Carolina community.

“`The original thriller was a 1962 motion picture that starred Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, and Martin Balsam. Alfred Hitchcock was slated to direct the film, but quit over a dispute. It retained much of Hitchcock’s style to production, including unusual lighting angles, an eerie music score by Bernard Herrmann, and subtle hints rather than graphic depictions. Much of the violent overtones takes place on a houseboat along Cape Fear.

   

“`The 1991 remake starred Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. This was originally developed by Steven Spielberg, but he gave the assignment to Martin Scorsese. In return, Scorsese gave up the opportunity to direct Schindler’s List. Again, Hitchcock’s techniques were used; plus, Elmer Bernstein updated Herrmann’s score. The opening credits were designed by Hitchcock collaborator Saul Bass.  Peck, Mitchum, and Balsam had brief cameos in the reboot.

“`Meanwhile,  as crests continue to travel downstream along the major rivers in the eastern part of the Carolinas into next week, unprotected areas may remain flooded until the end of September or early October. The horror continues along Cape Fear…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Contact High…

September 19th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Las Vegas’ newest attraction is a museum celebrating all things cannabis. Nobody is allowed to light up at Cannabition when it opens due to Nevada’s ban on public consumption of pot. It will welcome its initial visitors fifteen months after adults in Nevada began buying recreational marijuana legally, with sales far exceeding state projections.

   

“`The museum will work to reduce the stigma of marijuana use, and target gambling-resistant young adults to Sin City.  The facility is located in Las Vegas’ downtown entertainment district. While not the Smithsonian of ganja, it has some educational components.

“`Many of the facility’s exhibits are sponsored by cannabis companies, with logos prominently displayed. Expect to see television stars, models and local entertainers in attendance.

“`Only adults twenty-one and older will be allowed at Cannabition. The tour is designed to last up to an hour. A note of caution… Your visit may lead to you getting the munchies.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Come On Let’s Go…

September 18th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Bob Morales was twenty-one years old when his famous younger brother, Ritchie Valens, died in a an airplane crash. The rock ‘n’ roll pioneer was an iconic member of the Chicano rock movement with hits, such as La Bamba, Come On Let’s Go, Donna, and We Belong Together.

“`The 1987 movie, La Bamba, referenced the brother’s relationship, with Esai Morales portraying the older sibling with inner demons. Bob had issues viewing the production due to painful memories it ignited, including family loss (his brother and mother).    BOB MORALES –>

“`After his brother’s passing, Bob went on a downward spiral, turning to alcohol. His struggle with alcohol led him to a detox center. He later worked there as a substance abuse counselor. He also successfully beat prostate cancer.

“`Every day, he was asked about personal memories of his brother, and every day he cried from the encounter. Bob Morales was eighty-one.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Bear Necessities…

September 17th, 2018

Manny P. here… 

“`Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic is a new exhibition opening Saturday at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibit addresses the fact that Winnie-the-Pooh is a global phenomenon.

“`This exhibit is divided into five themes examining how  A. A. Milne and illustrator E. H. Shepard brought Winnie-the-Pooh to life in print. Pooh became a sensation.  The exhibit is compiled of almost two hundred original drawings, letters, photographs, and early editions on loan from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and other lenders. It is is wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

“`While the original Winnie-the-Pooh four-book series were published nearly a century ago, the narrative of a befuddled bear and his adventures with Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Rabbit remains essential with families and youngsters.  The first, When We Were Very Young, was published in November, 1924; the last, House at Pooh Corner, came out in October, 1928.

“`Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic runs through January 6, 2019 at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Golden Age of Radio…

September 14th, 2018

Manny P. here… 

“`If you are a big fan of the Golden Age of Radio, consider joining the Classic Radio Club. Now you can receive ten half-hour, brilliant sound-quality, classic radio shows mailed to your home on five CDs each month.

“`By joining the Classic Radio Club, they will personally choose the classic radio programs you will receive each month. Some of which have not been heard since they originally aired. Great episodes from Suspense, The Jack Benny Program, Inner SanctumLights Out,  Fibber McGee and Molly, Our Miss Brooks, The Shadow, Gunsmoke, Philip Marlowe, The Great Gildersleeve, Have Gun-Will Travel, Johnny DollarBurns and Allen, The Whistler, EscapeDimension X, The Life of Riley, Boston Blackie, and many more.

“`You will hear hundreds of stars, including Orson Welles, Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Basil Rathbone, Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Robert Young, Jack Webb, Vincent Price, Howard Duff, William Conrad, and more.

“`And the best part is you can now own the finest sound quality, remastered episodes with the original sponsor commercials.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Tropical Depression…

September 13th, 2018

Manny P. here… 

“`In 1935, MGM produced a spectacle, starring Clark Gable, Jeanette McDonald, and Spencer Tracy, that re-imagined the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; an impressive climax to the movie. Louis B Mayer put the production on the fast-track, a response to RKO’s special effects masterpiece, King Kong.

“`Inspired by  San Francisco, Samuel Goldwyn brought in John Ford to direct The Hurricane, a love story prior to the arrival of a tropical cyclone in the South Pacific. The cast: Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor, Jerome Cowan and three actors featured in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series, Thomas Mitchell, C. Aubrey Smith and John Carradine. I had the distinct honor of meeting the late Layne Tom Jr., a child star in the flick, and a proud owner of my paperbacks. The score was written by Alfred Newman.

“`Critics characterized the film as one of the most thrilling spectacles the screen has provided, and the production received three  Academy Award nominations. Along with San Francisco and King Kong, The Hurricane completes the cinematic hat-trick that pioneered the special-effects genre of Hollywood productions.

“`My prayers to the Carolina folks in the path of Hurricane Florence.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Reynolds Wrap…

September 7th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Burt Reynolds was a film and television star known for his performances in Deliverance and Boogie Nights, and commercial hits such as Smokey and the Bandit.  He had an active off-screen love life, which included relationships with Loni Anderson, Dinah Shore, and Sally Field. And he had famously posed nude for Cosmopolitan and Playboy Magazine.

“`Born in Lansing, Michigan, and raised in Florida, he was an all-Southern Conference running back at Florida State University in the 1950s. Reynolds appeared headed to the NFL until a knee injury and an automobile accident ended his opportunity.  He dropped out of college and drifted to New York,  where he worked as a dock-hand, bouncer, bodyguard, and dish washer, before returning to Florida in 1957 to enroll in acting classes at Palm Beach Junior College.

“`Early theater roles included a performance in Mister Roberts. After moving to Hollywood, Burt found work as a stuntman. Steady television work led to recurring and starring roles in Gunsmoke and Dan August. He was also a frequent and irreverent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He won an Emmy for his efforts on Evening Shade.

“`Reynolds inspired a wide range of critical acclaim and total scorn, popular success and box office bombs. He made a number of flicks, ranging from popcorn faves, such as The Best Little Whorehouse  in Texas,  Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), The Cannonball Run, to more serious productions like  The Longest Yard and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing. Burt was nominated for an Oscar for Boogie Nights, the Paul Thomas Anderson film about the porn industry. Burt was also a staple nominee for a series of Razzie AwardsBURT REYNOLDS ->

“`He would open the Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre and a Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum, where he displayed his memorabilia and sometimes lectured to drama students.

“`Burt Reynolds was 82.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Envelope Please…

September 6th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Actress Cicely Tyson and composer Lalo Schifrin are among the cinematic legends receiving the year’s honorary Oscar statuettes at the film academy’s Governors Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the honorees after a vote by the board of governors.

“`Tyson garnered one Oscar nod for the 1972 flick  Sounder. She was awarded an Emmy for her fabulous performance in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Motion Picture roles have included The Last Angry Man, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Helpand The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and The Help. On the small screen, she was cast in Roots.

   

CICELY TYSON                          LALO SCHIFRIN

“`Schifrin is a six-time nominee, who composed original scores for over one hundred movies, including Cool Hand Luke, Bullitt, Kelly’s Heroes, and Dirty Harry. Lalo also penned the score for television programs, such as  Mannix, The Big Valley, Medical Center, Starsky and Hutch, and his most famous composition, Mission: Impossible.

“`The 10th annual Governors Awards will be held in Los Angeles on November 18th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Oz Cold Case Crime Solved…

September 4th, 2018

Manny P. here…

“`Ruby slippers used in The Wizard of Oz that were stolen from a Minnesota museum, were recovered in a sting operation. These slippers were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. They were taken in 2005 by somebody who went through a window and broke into a small display case. The shoes were insured for one million dollars.

“`The ruby slippers had been on loan to the Garland repository from Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw. Additional pairs that Garland wore in the movie are held by the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a private collector. These stolen slippers’ authenticity was verified when comparing them with those at the  Smithsonian Institute. They are made from a dozen materials, including plastic, wood pulp, silk thread, gelatin and glass. The ruby color comes from sequins. Plus, the bows of the shoes contain red glass beads.

“`This particular pair of slippers could be worth between millions of dollars. Before she died, Debbie Reynolds actively sought to purchase the shoes.

“`The F. B. I. has not arrested or charged anyone in the case. But they have a number of suspects and continue to investigate. As they unveiled these recovered slippers at a news conference, they asked anyone with information about the theft to contact them.

Until next time>                               “never forget”