Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

“`Harry Belafonte was a Jamaican-American singer, actor and a resolute activist.  His activism was inspired through mentorship provided by Paul Robeson, and he later became a confidante of Martin Luther King Jr. Along the way, Belafonte popularized calypso music in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso in 1956 was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. His best known tunes:  Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Jump in the Line (Shake Senora) and Jamaica Farewell.

HARRY BELAFONTE

“`In the late 1940s, Belafonte attended acting classes at the famed Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York City.  His classmates included Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Bea Arthur, Walter Matthau and Sidney Poitier. For a time, Belafonte performed with the American Negro Theater.  He began his career in music as a club singer in New York to pay for acting classes. He was backed by the Charlie Parker’s band the initial time on stage, which also included Max Roach and Miles Davis, among others. He signed a contract with RCA Victor in 1953.

“`Belafonte was recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the inaugural gala of John F. Kennedy in 1961, and performed alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson and others. He appeared on television in variety programs, including  The Ed Sullivan Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Steve Allen Show,  Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and  The Flip Wilson Show. During the week of February 5th, 1968, Belafonte was in for Johnny Carson on  The Tonight Show. Among his noted guests were the Reverend King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

“`Belafonte had a big screen career, appearing with Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan and James Mason. His co-starred in Bright Road, Carmen Jones, Island in the Sun, The World the Flesh and the Devil, Buck and the Preacher and Uptown Saturday Night.

“`Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. President Kennedy later named Belafonte cultural advisor to the Peace Corps. Throughout his career, he was also an advocate for political and humanitarian causes, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa. From 1987 until his death, he was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.  He spent the latter part of his life as a fierce advocate for many progressive causes.

“`Harry Belafonte was ninety-six.

Until next time>                                  “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I offer a compelling profile on the talented and tortured Orson Welles. His trajectory flamed out after the production of Citizen Kane, yet he still managed to create stirring images from movies that remain legendary. Celebrating Act 2 reflect…

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`I am thrilled to spend this upcoming Saturday with the members of the Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society Saps at Sea tent. This group is a fervant bunch of L&H loyalists, who are part of an international contigent whose united purpose is to celebrate Stan and Babe by keeping their memory alive.

“`At the event, we will focus on the moviemaker who worked in the 1950s on keeping silent films relevent through a series of documentary compilations: ROBERT YOUNGSON. An Oscar-winning filmmaker of two-reelers while at Warner Brothers,  he remained a preservationist and is now considered the Martin Scorsese of his day as he introduced silent movies to a new generation of movie-goers, the Baby Boomer generation. Portions of Laurel and Hardy silents are in his compilations such as Two Tars, Big Business, The Second Hundred Years and the previously lost, Battle of the Century.

“`Forgotten Hollywood is joining tents of the Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society in a campaign to get  The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy was King added to the Library of Congress Film Registry for 2023. THE GOOD NEWS… It is FREE to vote for these masters of preservation on the Film Registry site of the LOC.  All it takes is a few minutes to vote.

“`This event is being held on Saturday, 7p at  Williams Hall, 3902 Kenwood Dr, Spring Valley CA 91977. Donation of $7 per person at the door (age twelve and under is free); refreshments included. The Saps at Sea will be screening The Golden Age of Comedy and I will autograph paperbacks in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series.

“`Come on down and join us for an evening of frivolity, antics and sappy fun!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Today, I get to host Celebrating Act 2 and my guests are John Coleman and Art Kirsch! They discuss the films they loved throughout their lives. Each list is eclectic and all selections have a back story.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`My journey to the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival actually officially begins on Wednesday for two pre-event festivities. I expect that both activities will allow me to enjoy a bit of fellowship with cinephiles across the country, all congregating in four-block area around Hollywood Blvd. and Highland.

“`My Wednesday itinerary includes:

~ Media Welcome Reception at Club TCM in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The TCM hosts, including Eddie Muller and Ben Mankiewicz (above) will be on hand for the meet-and-greet.

~ Pre-Fest #14 Party at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. Cinema fans who belong to Facebook’s TCM Classic Film Festival group will be celebrating the upcoming four-day fest. Kelly J Kitchens Wickersham of Richardson, TX and her team is hosting the event.

“`The festival kicks off on Thursday with the opening night red-carpet screening of Rio Bravo. Angie Dickinson will chat about the iconic Western prior to the screening. Warner Brothers is also celebrating their 100th anniversary. So, the theme of the festival is You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, originally recited by Al Jolson in the initial talkie, The Jazz Singer, distributed by WB.

“`See you at the TCM Classic Film Festival!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Michael Lerner was a brilliant supporting actor, who was memorable on television and in cinema. He is best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Barton Fink and as Arnold Rothstein in Eight Men Out.

“`Lerner made his initial television appearance as a teenager, as a quiz kid on a television program hosted by a local sportscaster. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to study theater in London for two years, at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.  He remarkably lived in a flat with Yoko Ono and John Lennon.        MICHAEL LERNER —->

“`Lerner moved to Los Angeles in 1969 abd he made guest appearances in television shows, such as The Brady Bunch, That Girl, Night Gallery, The Streets of San Francisco, The Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H, The Rockford Files, Love American Style, Kojak, The Odd Couple, Hart to Hart, The A-Team and Hill Street Blues. He also was in the cast of the teleplay, The Missiles of October, portraying Pierre Salinger, press secretary to John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crises. His big screen credits include The Candidate, The Other Side of Midnight, Harlem Nights, Newsies, No Escape and No Way Back.

“`Michael Lerner was eighty-one.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`John Coleman, Art Kirsch and I reflect on the upcoming 2023 TCM Film Festival and their celebration of Warner Brothers. Great movies, lots of movie stars and aficianados and of course, die-hard fans from all over the world. It is a Celebrating Act 2 classic conversation!

“`Enjoy the rundown!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`It is appropriate that  Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I profile one of the men who provided the soundtrack of the mid-twentieth century… The prolific Burt Bacharach. His collaborations with Hal David and Dionne Warwick remain legendary. Celebrating Act 2 reflects on a life well spent.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Turner Classic Movies pays tribute to one of the storied film studios as it celebrates its centennial.  The cable channel honors Warner Brothers for the entire month of April. Every screening, including documentaries, trailers, archival interviews, shorts and Looney Tunes cartoons, will begin with the familiar WB logo.

“`The retrospective begins with the 1924 silent version of Beau Brummel and concludes with Going in Style, starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg, in his final film role. In between, Warner Brothers will round up the usual suspects such as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sheridan, Olivia de Havilland and John Garfield, among others, in legendary cinema.

“`The network will debut the restorations / remasters of ten iconic movies made at the studio, including East of Eden, The Strawberry Blonde and Rachel Rachel.  TCM will additionally premiere Full Metal Jacket, Million Dollar Baby and Argo. The TCM Film Festival will put a spotlight on the legacy of Warner Brothers. The theme of the event: You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet, the quote from the initial talkie, The Jazz Singer, and produced at the pioneering studio. The opening night screening will be the restored version of Rio Bravo and Angie Dickinson will introduce the iconic Western.

“`Founded by Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner and incorporated on April 4, 1923, Warner Brothers is home to one of the most successful brands in the world and is at the forefront of every aspect of the movie entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, streaming, videogames, consumer products and live experiences.

“`Warner Brothers owns TCM, so it is an accomodating collaborative effort!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`The Columbus Moving Picture Show is a Memorial Day weekend tradition with four days of movies, cinephiles and items to be purchased in the spacious dealer room. As they say…  A film fan’s paradise! The itinerary includes silent films with piano accompaniment, comedy two-reelers and flicks in fabulous Technicolor. I am making my initial appearance at this legendary motion picture festival.  I am planning to host a Forgotten Hollywood seminar, conduct a book signing and spend treasured time at my table in the dealer room.

“`My first assignment was an engaging interview on their Columbus Moving Picture Show podcast.  I joined host Samantha Glasser and interview correspondent Caroline Breder-Watts for an engaging chat about by Forgotten Hollywood franchise. Also featured is Mark Kratzner, the curator at the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy in Vincennes, Indiana. Here is a link to the conversations:

https://www.columbusmovingpictureshow.com/podcast-1/episode/1cf83489/mark-kratzner-and-manny-pacheco

“`The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown, Columbus from May 25th to May 28th. I will be in the dealer’s room all day on Friday and Saturday. My Forgotten Hollywood oral presentation takes place on Saturday at 10a, followed by a book-signing.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I circle the globe to visit famous landmarks used in cinema, such as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, United Nations, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland, and of course, Mount Rushmore. This Celebrating Act 2 discussion feels like vacation.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Robert Blake was an actor known for his roles in the 1967 movie In Cold Blood and the 1970s television series Baretta. He began acting as a child in the Our Gang short film series from 1939 to 1944.

“`Blake’s parents began a song-and-dance act. Their three kids began performing with them as the Three Little Hillbillies. They moved to Los Angeles where the children performed as extras. In The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Blake played the Mexican boy who sells Humphrey Bogart a winning lottery ticket and gets a glass of water thrown in his face by Bogie in the process.

“`Blake entered Jeff Corey’s acting class  and began working on improving his personal and professional life. He became a seasoned Hollywood actor in dramatic roles in movies and on television. In 1959, he turned down the role of Little Joe Cartwright, ultimately portrayed by Michael Landon in NBC’s western television series Bonanza.

“`On the big screen, Blake was memorable in Pork Chop Hill, Town without Pity, PT 109, Ensign Pulver, The Greatest Story Ever Told, This Property is Condemned, Tell Them Willie Boy is Here and Electra Glide in Blue. In 1967, Blake had a career breakout due to his work in the film In Cold Blood. He played real-life murderer Perry Smith. Richard Brooks received two Oscar nominations for the film: one for his direction, and one for his adaptation of Truman Capote’s book.

“`Blake enjoyed signature work in Baretta, part of the many cop dramas that were popular in the 1970s. He won an Emmy for playing a street-wise, plain clothes police detective. The show trademark was Baretta’s pet cockatoo Fred.

“`On May 4, 2001, Blake took his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley out to Vitello’s Italian Restaurant in Studio City, California. Bakley was fatally shot in the head while sitting in Blake’s vehicle as she waited for him to return from the restaurant. On April 22, 2002, he was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances, an offense which carried a possible death penalty. On March 16, 2005, Blake was found not guilty of murder. The incident haunted the rest of his life.

“`Robert Blake (above right) was eighty-nine.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Chaim Topol was an Israeli actor, singer and illustrator. He is best known as Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and in the 1971 film adaptation. He performed the role more than 3,500 times from the late 1960s through 2009.  He was hailed as Israel’s only internationally recognized entertainer from the 1960s through the 1980s.

“`Topol began acting during his Israeli army service in the  Nahal entertainment troupe and later toured Israel with kibbutz and satirical theatre companies.  He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His cinematic breakthrough part came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati. In 1966, Topol made his English-language film debut in Cast a Giant Shadow.

“`In casting the 1971 screen version of Fiddler on the Roof, director Norman Jewison and his production crew looked for a thespian other than Zero Mostel for the lead role. The decision was decidely controversial, as Zero had made the part famous in the long-running Broadway show and he campaigned to star in the film. Danny Kaye, Herschel Bernardi, Rod Steiger, Danny Thomas, Walter Matthau, Richard Burton and Frank Sinatra had also expressed interest in the part.

“`Topol initially played Tevye in the Israeli production in 1966. Harold Prince and Jerome Robbins created the London musical with Topol as their lead. Both were surprised that he was many years younger than expected. A few months after the opening, Topol was called up for reserve duty in the Six-Day War and he returned to Israel. He was assigned to an army entertainment troupe on the Golan Heights. Topol went on to appear in more than thirty films in Israel and United States, including Galileo, Flash Gordon and For Your Eyes Only.

“`Topol was the founder of Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs, and Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, for which he served as chairman of the board. In 2015, Topol was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. The year before, the University of Haifa conferred upon Topol an honorary degree in recognition of his fifty years of activity in Israel’s cultural and public life.

“`A fine actor and a great humanitarian, Chaim Topol was eighty-seven.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`I am proud to join Art Kirsch and John Coleman in profiling on Celebrating Act 2 one of the all-time greats, the gritty and immensely talented Barbara Stanwyck.  She never delivered a bad performance. Her films were so much better because of her presence.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Walter Mirisch was a film producer, who was president and executive head of production of The Mirisch Corporation, an independent film company, which he formed in 1957 with brothers, Marvin and Harold. They became responsible for some of the most familiar motion pictures in the last fifty years of the twentieth century. Known in the industry as a perfectionist, he supervised every detail of his films from the earliest stages to the final release.

“`At the age of twenty-nine, Mirisch became production head at Allied Artists Studio, initially only a division of Monogram. Among other films, he supervised the productions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Friendly Persuasion,  and the Billy Wilder-directed  Love in the Afternoon.

“`The Mirisch Company produced sixty-eight films for United Artists, including three that won the Best Picture Oscars – The Apartment, West Side Story and In the Heat of the Night. Other productions were very popular cinema in Hollywood.  They include:  Some Like it Hot, The Magnificent Seven, the remake of Kid Galahad (with Elvis), The Great Escape, Two for the Seesaw,  The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming,  A Shot in the Dark, The Pink Panther, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Midway, Fiddler on the Roof and The Thomas Crown Affair.

“`Honored many time by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Producers Guild of America,  Mirisch was revered by his colleagues. He served as president of the Producers Guild and  Motion Picture Academy at various stages during his long distinguished career.

“`The beloved Walter Mirisch was 101.

Until next time>                               “never forget”