“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Champion in Cinema…

October 22nd, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`Marge Champion was a dancer and actress. At fourteen, she was hired as a dance model for Walt Disney Studios animated films. Later, she performed as an actress and dancer in movie musicals, and in 1957 had a television show based on song and dance.

“`Marjorie began dancing at an early age as her sister had done. She began dancing as a child under the instruction of her father, Ernest Belcher, a noted Hollywood ballet coach who trained Shirley Temple, Joan Crawford, Betty Grable, Cyd Charisse, and Gwen Verdon.

                               MARGE CHAMPION                 SNOW WHITE

“`She was hired by the Walt Disney Studio as a dance model for their animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Her movements were copied to enhance the realism of the animated Snow White figure. Marge also posed for figures created in Dumbo, Fantasia, and Pinocchio.

“`Marge married Art Babbitt, an animator at Disney and the creator of Goofy.  They divorced three years later. She wed dancer Gower Champion in 1947. As a dance team, the Champions starred in musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, including MGM’s Till the Clouds Roll By, Show Boat, and Everything I Have is Yours. MGM wanted the couple to remake Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films, but only one, Lovely to Look At, a re-boot of Roberta, was completed.

“`On Broadway, Marge appeared on stage, including a revival of Follies, and later, acted as a choreographer in a number of productions, including the original presentation of Hello Dolly.

“`Marge Champion was 101.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Demise of the Studios…

October 21st, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`I am back on Celebrating Act 2, with Art Kirsch and John Coleman, to discuss how the studio era of Hollywood disappeared.  The conversation is laced with anecdotes about the major stars of Warner Brothers, MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, and others.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Same Day, Same Year…

October 19th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`With the passing of Helen Reddy and Mac Davis on September 29th, it occurred to me that occasionally,  stars of the stage and screen might cross over the rainbow bridge on the same day. Here are notable examples:

~ JUNE 25, 2009

“`Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett passed away on this day. The King of Pop overshadowed the 1970s media icon when he suddenly died.

                     

MICHAEL JACKSON          FARRAH FAWCETT

“`Jackson died from cardiac arrest. News of his death spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload, and putting unprecedented strain on services and social media sites including Google, AOL Instant Messenger, Twitter and Wikipedia. Nowadays, Fawcett is remembered for her famous poster. Her death is largely forgotten.

~ January 2, 1963 

“`Dick Powell and Jack Carson were golden age actors who surprisingly died on this day. Both were taken by cancer.

 

DICK POWELL            JACK CARSON

“`Powell developed cancer as a result of his participation in the movie The Conqueror, which was filmed at St. George, Utah, near a site used by the military for nuclear testing. As well as Powell, who directed the film, a third of the actors in the film developed the disease, including John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, Pedro Armendáriz, and Susan Hayward. On August 26, 1962, while rehearsing the play Critic’s Choice, Carson collapsed and was subsequently diagnosed with stomach cancer. Less than a year later, he was dead.

~ FEBRUARY 3, 1959

“`Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and  J. P. The Big Bopper Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The event later became known as The Day the Music Died, after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song American Pie.

“`Urban legend suggests that Valens accepted a seat assigned to Waylon Jennings,  who gave up his chance to fly because Valens was ill with a cold. At the time, Jennings was a member of the tour band. Despite the tragedy, fifteen-year-old Bobby Vee replaced Holly at the next stop on the tour in Moorhead, Minnesota. As a result, Vee’s career took off.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Reason I am a Broadcaster…

October 18th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`Dave Hull, aka The Hullabalooer, was a radio personality who was voted one of the Top Ten Los Angeles radio disc jockeys of all time.  As a kid, he was my escape each day. He is a reason I chose a career in radio.      DAVE HULL –>

“`Dave started his broadcasting career in  Armed Forces Radio in Casablanca, Morocco and in commercial radio at KGFL in Roswell, New Mexico. He started at KRLA in Pasadena in the summer of 1963 as weekend relief and went full-time in the 9pm-midnight slot by the fall.

“`Hull became close with The Beatles during their 1965 and 1966 American tours. During that time, he taped approximately fourteen interviews with the band. He, along with Bob Eubanks, planned The Beatles’ 1966 concert at Dodgers Stadium.  His work with the band earned him the honorary title of the fifth Beatle.

“`Hull also collaborated with The Beach Boys, the Dave Clark Five, and The Rolling Stones. In December 1965, Hull opened the Hullabaloo club on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. He appeared as a talent contest manager in an October 1966 episode of The Monkees.

“`When he returned to KRLA in 1982, I finally met my influencer at a Christmas parade, and I went to shake his hand. He looked up at me, and said,

Don’t touch me, I’m a stroke victim!

“`Truthfully, Dave was recovering from a minor stroke. He smiled and shook my hand. It was worth the encounter.

“`Dave Hull was eighty-six.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Son of a Gun…

October 17th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`My second of three books has traversed a milestone. Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History reached 1700 books sold. I remain grateful since the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult to find ways to reach an audience. Amazingly, this sale has a direct tie to Hollywood’s Studio Era.

 

“`Paul Berman is a Cypress Village resident and a neighbor of mine. He is also related to the late film producer, Pandro S. Berman. He was an influential contributor to RKO Studios and MGM during cinema’s Golden Age. Six of his finest movies were nominated for an Academy Award for Best PictureThe Gay Divorcee, Alice Adams, Top Hat, Stage Door, Father of the Bride, and Ivanhoe.

“`While toiling at RKO,  the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musicals were in production during his regime. Katharine Hepburn rose to prominence in The Little Minister and Mary of Scotland, and such classics as Gunga Din and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were completed. Upset when an RKO power-play diminished his authority, Berman left for MGM in 1940.

“`While at MGM, he produced Ziegfeld Girl, Dragon Seed, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Three Musketeers, National Velvet, The Long Long Trailer, Blackboard Jungle, Madame BovaryJailhouse Rock, Butterfield 8, Sweet Bird of Youth and A Patch of Blue. Berman was the winner of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1976.

“`By the way, Paul Berman purchased the entire Forgotten Hollywood book series, for which I am grateful.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Queen of Technicolor…

October 16th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`Rhonda Fleming was a popular movie star of the 1940s and 1950s and was dubbed the Queen of Technicolor. Late in life, she became a philanthropist and supporter in fights against cancer, homelessness, and child abuse.

“`She began working as a screen actor while attending Beverly Hills High School. Fleming’s well-regarded Hollywood agent Henry Willson went to work for David O. Selznick, who put Rhonda under contract. Fleming had bit parts in Since You Went Away for Selznick and in When Strangers Marry.

“`Her first notable role was in Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound. Rhonda’s next assignment was The Spiral Staircase.  Fleming starred in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Out of the PastThe Eagle and the Hawk, While the City Sleeps, and Gunfight at the O. K. Corral. She played herself in The Patsy. The red-head shared screen time with Robert Mitchum, Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Burt Lancaster, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson and Ronald Reagan

“`On the small screen, she guest-starred in  The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Red Skelton Show, three episodes of Wagon Train, The Virginian, MacMillan and Wife, Kung Fu and The Love Boat. In 1957, Fleming made her stage musical debut in Las Vegas at the opening of the Tropicana Hotel’s showroom. Later, she appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in a one-woman concert with compositions from Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.

“`Rhonda Fleming (above) was ninety-seven.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Escape From Reality…

October 15th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`The popularity of The Wizard of Oz in 1939 led to a swarm of fantasy flicks over the next decade. These are motion picture gems that captured the notion that better (and sometimes worse) angels live among us. These were lavish 1940s productions with top stars of the day.

     

      

 

“`With Covid 19 a reality… Why not indulge in a little cinematic escapism?

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Actor Speaks…

October 11th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`I am thrilled to share my latest interview on Celebrating Act 2. I join Art Kirsch and John Coleman as we chat about great screenwriters of Hollywood’s Golden Age. This is a popular topic for me, since I have written articles on the subject and conduct classroom lectures as well.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Yankee Chairman…

October 9th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`Whitey Ford was the New Yorker who had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the twentieth century,  and helped the Yankees become baseball’s perennial champions in the 1950s and 1960s. On the franchise defined by power hitters,  Ford was considered its finest starting pitcher. The wily left-hander excelled in the majors from 1950-1967, all with the Yankees, and teamed with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Yogi Berra to earn six championships. Mantle was his pal on-and-off the field.

“`The Yankees signed Ford in 1947 and three years later he was called up in midseason. At just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Ford was considered a marginal prospect.  But he won nine straight games and nailed down the 1950 World Series sweep of the Phillies by winning the fourth game. After two years away for military service during the Korean War (he remained stateside in the Army), Ford returned to the Yanks in 1953 and, along with Mantle, became their core of the team.

“`Ford was in his mid-20s when he became the ace in manager Casey Stengel’s rotation. He was Stengel’s choice to pitch World Series openers eight times, a record. He won 236 games and lost just 106, a winning percentage of .690. The Fall Classic record book is crowded with his accomplishments, still holding records for World Series games and starts, innings pitched, wins, and strikeouts.

“`He and Mantle remained centerpieces in the Yankees dynasty and were elected together to the Hall of Fame in 1974.  The team retired his No. 16 the month Ford was inducted into the Hall. After his retirement, Ford briefly worked as a broadcaster.

“`Know as the Chairman of the Board, Edward Charles Whitey Ford (above) was ninety-one.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Off Broadway…

October 8th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`The shutdown of Broadway in New York City has been extended. The suspension of performances through May 30, 2021 marks an extended delay before shows will return.

“`Refund info for unused tickets sold during this shutdown period can be obtained at respective box-offices.  Productions are projected to resume over a series of rolling dates beginning June 2021.

“`Broadway performances were suspended on March 12, 2020.  At that time, thirty-one productions were running, including eight new shows in previews. Additionally, eight productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring.

“`Local actors have felt the brunt of this shutdown.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Just Because…

October 7th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`It is October. Why not showcase an all-time great Vincent Price movie-monster classics…

“`It tells the story of a scientist who is transformed into a grotesque creature after a house fly enters into a molecular transporter,  resulting in his atoms combining with those of the insect. It produces a human–fly hybrid.

“`Producer-director Kurt Neumann discovered a short story by George Langelaan in Playboy Magazine. Screenplay writer James Clavell adapted Langelaan’s story. The Fly was released in July 1958. Producer-director Kurt Neumann died only a few weeks after its premiere, never realizing he had made the biggest hit of his career.

“`The movie was released in  CinemaScope with Color by Deluxe by Twentieth Century Fox. There were also two black-and-white sequels: Return of the Fly and Curse of the Fly.  The original flick was remade in 1986 by director David Cronenberg. The production’s financial success led to Vincent Price becoming a major horror icon, competing with work of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

“`There is no debate about it… The Fly is a classic! Anyone got a swatter?

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Halloween Treat…

October 4th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`I offer a rare gift.  When asked by Palos Verdes Pulse to write an article that celebrates Hallow’s Eve, I decided to offer an excerpt from my second book, Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History; a portion of the Lon Chaney Jr. story.

“`I have penned fifty-six published chapters over three books. And, I currently have another twelve entries in the queue for my next work. Without a doubt, a favorite chapter was my take on the career of Lon Chaney Jr. I attempted to capture the humanity of an iconic family of cinema; a tactile tale of love and caring for those cast off in society.

https://www.palosverdespulse.com/blog/2020/10/4/the-pathos-of-a-monster-lon-chaney-jr-a-forgotten-hollywood-essay-by-manny-pacheco


“`Please take a moment to check it out. And if you enjoy my storytelling, I invite you to check out my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series.


“`Enjoy!

==============================

“`A quick thank you to Donald Wilson of Utah.  He is the initial purchaser to offer a critique of Road to Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History and gave a five-star review on Amazon. He writes about my latest work:

Enjoyed the thorough discussion about the actors!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Pitcher for the Ages…

October 3rd, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`Another legendary St. Louis Cardinal has passed on  (Last month, we lost Lou Brock). Bob Gibson became a tough pitcher, who battled Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Juan Marichal. The pinnacle of his career was 1968, when Gibby posted a 1.12 ERA for the season. He then recorded seventeen strikeouts in Game One of the 1968 World Series.

“`After briefly playing under contract to both the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Bob decided to continue playing only baseball professionally. He became a full-time starting pitcher in July 1961.

“`A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player Award. Only Clayton Kershaw has won the MVP award as a National League pitcher. Known for intimidating opposing batters, he was elected in 1981 to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in his initial year of eligibility. The Cardinals retired his uniform number forty-five in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014. He was later selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

“`Off the field, Bill White, Curt Flood, and Gibson led a civil rights campaign to allow players to live in the same clubhouse and hotel rooms. The Cardinals became the first sports team to end segregation, three years before Lyndon Johnson signed Great Society legislation in 1964.

“`After retiring from playing baseball, Gibson had various assignments with the Cardinals, and with their local broadcast team and on ESPN. He spent the last years of his life with his family in Omaha.

“`Bob Gibson was eighty four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Gimmick Casting…

October 2nd, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`I join Art Kirsch and John Coleman on Celebrating Act 2 as we converse about a specialized casting of actors on television and the big screen. It is known as Stuntcasting. Let us provide examples of this cinematic practice…

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Bulletins as They Break…

September 30th, 2020

Manny P. here…

“`UPDATE!  Tonight’s segment on KLCSEverybody with Angela Williamson has been postponed to October 14th due to unforeseen circumstances.  The delay was a last-minute decision, so I apologize for the viewing inconvenience.

“`I recommend you still watch the program tonight. Angela is a marvelous interviewer, and her guests are quite compelling. I promise to be on in a couple of weeks.

“`Please pass the word along about this postponement. I will keep you posted as to further bulletins as they break!

Until next time>                               “never forget”