A Hollywood Mystery: The Whole Story

July 10, 2016, 12:46 pm

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A Hollywood Mystery

This story of murder, intrigue, mystery and Hollywood glamour is the result of a fun-filled weekly collaboration of many blogging and Facebook friends. Each contributed a chapter until the mystery was solved. One thing they all have in common - they love classic films and a good mystery! Many thanks to all the writers. It was great fun!

Part 1

It was a busy Saturday night at the Brown Derby. Hedda held court in one booth, Louella in another (a respectable distance apart, of course). Current King of Hollywood Clark Gable and new bride Carole Lombard had their heads together like the lovebirds they were. Clark had just finished shooting the highly anticipated “Gone with the Wind” and was looking forward to spending some much needed alone-time with his wife before going off to the Atlanta premier. Clark’s co-star Vivien Leigh and her companion, Laurence Olivier, were deep in conversation in a dark corner and a bored Paulette Goddard toyed with her luscious diamond and emerald bracelet while husband Charlie Chaplin and best pal, and past King of Hollywood, Douglas Fairbanks reminisced about the old days. Doug was with new wife, Sylvia, who Charlie only tolerated. Paulette liked her just fine, but was hoping Doug’s ex, Mary Pickford, would stroll in with her pretty hubby, Buddy Rogers, just to add some spice to the evening. Money men, producers and directors chatted about their next projects and everyone eyed everyone else to make sure they missed nothing.

Sitting below the caricatures of himself and Groucho Marx were Cary Grant and his usual date, Phyllis Brooks. Miss Brooks was a pretty blonde and a good, undemanding companion – just what Cary needed after a busy year of filming “Gunga Din,” “Only Angels have Wings,” and “In Name Only.” They were enjoying their dinner of Spaghetti and veal cutlets when suddenly a waiter ran from the kitchen out onto the restaurant floor. His jacket was covered in blood and, before he could utter a word, he collapsed, dead, right at Louella Parson’s feet. All in attendance here horrified, Hedda was steamed, and it became quite clear that there would be no desert served that night.

Management and wait staff attempted to escort everyone out of the restaurant.  Startled stars wandered out onto North Vine Street, while Louella and Hedda had to be forcibly removed before the police came. Cary and Phyllis were among the amazed crowd that lingered in front of the restaurant. Cary thought it best to go home and leave things to the police, but Phyllis wanted to stay. “Why, Phyllis?” he asked. “What can we do except get in the way?” Phyllis started to speak, but her speech was muffled by the sobs she had been suppressing.  “We can’t leave”, she managed, “not just yet. That waiter - I know him.”

To be continued…….

Submitted by Marsha Collock

Part 2

Phyllis looked up at Cary, her teary eyes held his gaze. "You see...I know him from...."
Just then a long black limousine stopped in front of them. A handsome chauffeur got out of the driver side and came around to open the passenger door. Another handsome man in a tuxedo came out and assisted Mae West out of the car. Her long satin gown was the color of moonlight in evening. "Hey Cary, what's going on? This place looks deader than a temperance meeting on St. Patrick's Day."

"A waiter was killed here tonight Mae, we were just leaving," he said, taking Phyllis's hand in his.
"Oh, I missed all the drama. Let's go to the Coconut Grove then," Mae said looking up at her date.

Out of the shadows a lone figure walked up to the two couples. He smelled of alcohol and was hiding something in his pocket. He stopped and swayed a little on his feet. 

"Any a youse got a quarter for some coffee?" He slurred. Mae took a quarter out of her beaded hand bag and gave it to him. "Thanks lady." He handed her a folded note and said, "You'll want to read that, it's important" as he walked back into the shadows.

To be continued…….

Submitted by Tracey Witt

Part 3

And, earlier that day….

Charlie Chaplin steered his Pierce-Arrow south on Vine and turned left onto Sunset Boulevard.  He swerved around the corner to view scores of hopeful actors lined up outside of Chaplin Studios.  They were all there for the same purpose -- to audition for a handful of small parts in Chaplin’s new controversial film, The Great Dictator.  The crowd of actors moved away from the studio gate and allowed the pale blue convertible to pass -- the aspirants all stretching to catch a glimpse of the great Chaplin.

Once inside, Carl Voss waited patiently as other actor’s names were called before his. “Another cattle call.  It never ends,” said Carl to a familiar looking mug in the next seat.  There were so many actors, and so few roles.  Chaplin, forever the perfectionist, took his time, hand selecting his choices for even the smallest of parts.  The hours passed and still Carl waited.  He knew he would soon have to leave if he was to be on time for work or he would pay the consequences. 

Like other actors, Carl had to support himself between gigs.  After all, he hadn’t had a paying part since his bit role in Little Miss Broadway, and that was months ago.  The sweet Shirley Temple film had helped to launch Phyllis’ career to the next level.  So much so, that she had moved on to a better social circle and left poor Carl flat -- brokenhearted and struggling.  Phyllis really thought she was the cat’s meow since she caught Cary Grant’s eye.  She was all dolled up and rubbing elbows with the right crowd now.  Grant not only had the looks; he had deep pockets.  Carl felt double crossed, but he still carried a torch for Phyllis and he wouldn’t give up.  Carl felt sure that this new film would bring him a perfect opportunity and his life would take a new direction.  If Chaplin only knew about his past he would know that Carl was made for this picture. So much was riding on his success.  Carl just needed one good break so he would no longer have to wait tables at… The Brown Derby.  Sure, it helped pay the bills, and it allowed him to network with some of Hollywood’s highest royalty, but Johnny, the abusive head waiter, seemed to have some kind of beef with Carl.  It started over a waitress named Betty.  Johnny had eyes for the little brunette tomato who liked to flirt with Carl even though she wasn’t Carl’s type.  Carl had to get out of there.  He wasn’t going to take it anymore.  Just one lucky break was all he needed to steal the show.  Then Phyllis would come back.  He knew it.

The clock ticked.  It was now 4:27.  Carl would have to leave soon if he were to race the 2 blocks to The Derby and still sign in before 5:00.  He desperately wanted a part in Chaplin’s new film.  Carl opened his portfolio and removed a small piece of stationery.  He carefully crafted his note and then made his way to the receptionist’s desk.  “Hello, my name is Carl Voss.  Miss West asked Mr. Chaplin to see me today,” he said to the efficient looking woman behind the desk.   She looked back at him with an expression of disinterest.  “Mr. Chaplin is currently engaged in the last audition of the day.  You’ll have to come back tomorrow,” she said.  “Please,” Carl urged, “I wonder if you would be so kind as to give Mr. Chaplin this note.  Please!”

Carl ran out the door and hurried up Sunset Boulevard toward Vine.  Then – a lucky break.  A jalopy slowed and blasted the horn.  “Hey, Hotshot! You headed to work? Hop in.  I’ll give you a ride!”  It was Carl’s old pal Alan – another aspiring actor/waiter.  “Aw go chase yourself!” Carl called back laughing.  Carl and Al were chums from way back.  Phyllis had introduced them at an audition and they ended up sharing a bungalow for a while.  Al was a swell guy even if he had done some time in the big house – something about getting even with a guy for not paying some gambling debts.  Carl didn’t want anything to do with it.  But hey, sometimes it’s good to have a pal who’s packing heat.  Carl vaulted into the car and they sped toward the Derby making it to work with time to spare.

To be continued…..

Submitted by Elaine Mosher

PART 4

Mae was not in the least bit surprised by the inebriated stranger who had staggered over to her as she stood outside The Brown Derby with her date, Roy, Cary Grant and his starlet of the month Phyllis Brooks.  She was accustomed to having strangers approach her for an autograph, a hand out, even asking for a small part in one of her movies.  She took the note with her gloved hand and stuffed it in her beaded purse which had just enough room in it for some lipstick and a gold compact. The purse had been a gift from W.C. Fields. He had it sent to Mae after the movie, "My Little Chickadee" had finished filming its last scene.  It was that horrid man's attempt at an apology for the way she had been treated by Universal. The nerve of those big shots they had the gall to give both Mae and Fields equal screen writing credit for the movie. Everyone in Hollywood knew that Mae had written the original screenplay.  Now after waiting for an hour in her limousine for traffic to clear and start moving all she wanted to do was go home...she had a note to read. 

"Phyllis darling,""Calm yourself" said Cary with concern in his voice. "What did you mean when you said," "I know that waiter from"... after what seemed like an eternity they had finally arrived at her modest apartment in Burbank. Phyll, as Cary liked to call her, nervously paced the living room floor while smoking a cigarette. "He is, I mean, he used to be my husband." she sobbed.  

Instead of going straight to The Brown Derby from the auditions, Al had made a stop to talk to an "acquaintance" of his. Carl, was impatiently waiting in the car for Al to finish talking to the beefy guy in the pin stripe suit. The guy’s name was Mick De La Rosa.  Carl had seen him hanging around the back entrance of The Brown Derby. Waiters had set up a couple of tables and chairs outside and would take their breaks in the smelly alley.  Al was a swell guy but the crowd he hung out with made Carl’s skin crawl.  After waiting for 30 minutes Carl jumped out of the car and hurriedly made his way to The Brown Derby...

To be continued……

 Submitted by Tina Cosio

Part 5

Solitude.  Sometimes all a girl wants is some alone time.  Mae West had sent her insistent beau of the evening off to his own devices.  Having slipped into a comfortable, yet showy kimono Mae surveyed her luxurious art deco living room with satisfaction.  She had worked long and hard for her success, and she enjoyed it.  The bear rug, three paneled mirror and meticulously cared for porcelain knick-knacks were signs that she had made it.  The small beaded bag she had taken with her for the evening's entertainment lay on the silken upholstered divan.  Inside was the start of something big.  She could sense it.  She was never wrong.  Slowly she poured herself a glass of perrie in a Waterford cut glass and circled the bag as if circling an admiring swain.  Anticipation was often the greatest part of pleasure.

Barely an hour had passed since the scene out front of the Brown Derby.  The well-dressed coterie Hollywood's elite shell-shocked and wondering how to react in front of the press and the police with no script to follow and no director to provide motivation.  If only she could have gotten inside to see the body.  Surely the radio would have the story by now.  The top-of-the-line Crosley model 639M had a console to match Mae's luxurious taste and worked at the push of a button with no muss or fuss.

"It appears that the murdered man was not an employee of the restaurant after all, despite his attire.  According to police sources no identification was found on the body.  Witnesses are being unco-operative at the present time.  Sources close to the scene have disclosed a possible gangland connection to the incident.  We will update you with further news should it become available."

Mae turned the radio off and stretched out her full 5' frame on the antique lounge.  Another sip from the chilled glass and now to see what Henry  had to say for himself.  She was the only one of the group, too spellbound by the trouble to recognize dear old H.B. Warner on one of his toots.  Mae shook her head.  Warner was getting lots of work these days, why would he risk it in such a way?

The note was slightly crumpled from having been quickly tossed into the crowded bag.  The writing, however, showed an educated and practiced hand.  It read ...

"When is a marriage not really a marriage."

More hastily scrawled at the bottom, as if an afterthought:

"Someone likes to gamble."

Mae smiled softly and hummed a little tune.  A phony marriage?  Gamblers?  Wouldn't the police like to know?  Well maybe she'd tell them, but maybe first she'd do the Torchy Blane act and bring the cops the solution to this crime on a silver platter.  There wasn't anyone in this town she didn't know and nothing Mae West couldn't do.  Plus, she had just the outfit for a lady detective!

To be continued……

Submitted by Patricia Nolan-Hall

Part 6

Cary cradled Phyll in his arms. "Is there more that you want to tell me?" Cary gently asked her. 
Phyllis wanted to forget everything she had ever Phyllis wanted to forget everything she had ever known about her ex-husband. The memory of the days of being in love with him and living the good life had been erased by the events preceding the end of their marriage.  He had become involved with unsavory characters who were a threat to her career as well as her life. She did not want to reveal his real identity, but she did feel some obligation to tell Cary more. After all, they had just seen him murdered. And, Phyllis had as many questions as answers.

"I'm not sure what to tell you," she began. "You see, my own life is in danger if I tell all that I know. Bill, my ex, was known by the elite of the Hollywood community early in his career; he was much older than I and knew some of the most elite stars in Hollywood. I don't know much about his life before me. But his star had faded, and many of his so-called friends had forgotten him. He was devastated that he could no longer get work in Hollywood and began to drink heavily and gamble. His drinking led to...well, let's just say, I divorced him so that I could go on with my life. I suppose I should have kept in touch with him, but I didn't, and now ... well, now I may not ever know what really happened to him...or who he was involved with. Oh, Cary, what should I do?"

To be continued...

Submitted by Linda Thacker

Part 7: 

Cary was reeling. In the space of just under an hour he had witnessed a man dying, learned that the dead waiter was a former movie star and that Phyllis was once married to him. And, to make matters worse, she felt her life was in danger. He wanted to help, really he did, but he was not thinking clearly because earlier that night….

Cary had arranged to meet Phyllis at the Brown Derby at 7. Normally he would have done the gentlemanly thing and called for her, but both of them were meeting directly after a long day before the cameras and meeting at the Derby for dinner seemed easier. Cary arrived at about 6:30. Minutes later an assembled crowd of notable guests entered into the Brown Derby. Among these were John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore. John, needing a pre-dinner alcoholic pick-me-up, saw Cary and asked him to join him at the bar. Cary was thrilled – he admired John Barrymore so much, and soon found himself engaged in a vodka-fueled conversation. John was only getting started, but after 2 drinks, Cary was feeling a bit buzzed. While he and John dished the Hollywood dirt, Cary noticed that many of the restaurants patrons were tying one on. In particular, he noticed Mae West’s old pal, H.B. Warner getting ready to go on one of his famous toots.

Back in the main lounge at the Brown Derby, Ethel and Lionel became concerned over John’s disappearance to the bar. They thought he might have forgotten where their table was in the large restaurant, but after a half hour of waiting, John was nowhere to be found. Ethel began to worry about her little brother. "Oh no, I hope he's alright" she said, but Lionel knew brother Jack was either drunk or flirting with some starlet or both. Forty minutes had passed and John still had not returned. Ethel spied Phyllis Brooks sitting by herself, patiently waiting for her date. "I must go and see where John is" said a worried Ethel. “Stay here, “said Lionel, “I’ll get him – as usual.” Lionel scanned every section of the Brown Derby for John and Cary, but they were nowhere to be found. Lionel was now starting to worry. Just as he was about to head back to his table, he heard the sound of laughter coming from an alley behind the building. Making his way back there he found John, Cary and assorted waiters and other types engaged in a game of dice. Upon Lionel’s appearance, John quickly hid the open bottle of vodka behind him. Cary suddenly remembered Phyllis and dashed past the growling Lionel, feeling mighty unsteady on his feet. But he was sure steadier than John Barrymore, who after standing up and bowing to his brother, promptly passed out on the pavement.

Phyllis was annoyed at having been kept waiting, but soon all of that was forgotten when Carl Voss a.k.a. Bill Cassidy dropped dead before the appetizers were ordered.

 To be continued….

Submitted by Crystal Kalyana Pacey and Marsha Collock

Part 8:

The Scene
There's a method to a homicide investigation.

Police arrive and enter through the least likely route, in this case via a back alley. They check the victim and note their time of arrival. The victim is photographed and all physical evidence is removed from the victim. The scene is roped off and all witnesses are identified and statements are taken and duly recorded.

Attempts are made to establish the victim's movements prior to the crime. This involves the identification of the victim, and all background information, i.e. relatives, friends, employment, criminal record, finances, romantic involvement(s), narcotics, gang involvement etc.

On this night, for this case, Detective Archer conducts the investigation. All steps having been followed, Det. Archer sets about the process of questioning witnesses and those present at the Brown Derby at the time of the occurrence.

Hopper, Parsons, Gable, Lombard, Leigh, Olivier, Goddard, Chaplin, Fairbanks. The detective's notes read like the credits of one of Ken Murray's home movies. Their testimony is entered in Archer's notepad and before dismissing them he announces that they are free to leave but cautions them to refrain from travel outside the State until clearance is authorized by the LAPD.

As the A-List cast strolls out of the Derby, a lone figure waits behind. A waiter, sans his uniform jacket, approaches Archer and asks the detective if he may speak to him privately. Once he is certain that all the stars and starlets have gone, he begins to address the detective.

“Well, what is it, young man?" Archer asked.
" Sir, I think you should know that there are a couple of witnesses that departed the restaurant before you arrived.”

" A couple?" Archer asked. "Is that so?”
The waiter replied " Yes, and I believe they may know more, much more, than you may have already ascertained from this group "
Archer, intrigued asked " Do you know their names ?"
" Oh sure I do. Everyone in this town, in this state, in this country, in fact knows the name Cary Grant".
.....to be continued..... 

Submitted by Jerry Oddo

Part 9

Even hardboiled Detective Archer, usually underwhelmed by the so-called “stars” of Hollywood, felt a wave of excitement over the prospect of questioning the debonair Cary Grant. He had just seen him in “Gunga Din,” and had to admit that pretty boy could act. But first, before confronting Mr. Grant, Archer had 2 orders of business to attend to.

One was to find that out-of-uniform waiter. Citizens are rarely so helpful unless they have something to hide. Good Samaritans in Hollywood were like virgins in a cat-house – non-existent.

Archer watched as Carl Voss’ body was removed. He remembered watching him in westerns as a kid when he was known as Billy Cassidy. Poor Billy didn’t make the cut in talkies and had been reduced to bit parts and waiting tables. But, just 10 years ago he was riding high.

After Voss/Cassidy was shipped off to the morgue and the crime scene was cleared, Archer began methodically interviewing the Derby employees, who were told to remain on hand for questioning. Not surprisingly, none seemed to know who the mystery informant was. Finally, Frankie, a dishwasher who looked as though he needed a good scrubbing, thought he knew the man in question. He was a fill-in guy named Alan. Like everyone else in Hollywood he was an aspiring actor and worked occasionally as a waiter or busboy, but mostly he was interested in the gambling that took place in the alley behind the restaurant. Alan was a master at knowing when some poor slob got paid and then separating that slob from his paycheck. If anyone asked, Alan claimed to be an actor, but the reality was that he but found cards and the occasional blackmail an easier way to make a living.

Archer knew Alan was too smart to come back to the Derby any time soon. So, he figured he’d do the next thing on his list: question Mr. Grant. Questioning a big star without studio interference could be tricky, but Archer had an ace up his sleeve. Once home, he’d call his good friend and sometime girlfriend, Mae West, and ask her to arrange a meeting. Mae gave Cary one of his first big breaks in Hollywood, and Cary remained forever grateful to her. Archer was sure Mae could convince Cary to meet with her. The detective was eager for any excuse to see Mae. Besides being fun and sexy, Mae not only had a natural nose for trouble, but she loved a good mystery.

Little did he know Mae was holding a few cards of her own. 

To be continued...

-   Submitted by Marsha Collock

Part 10

Mae West had called her friend Cary and told him that Archer wanted to interview him and Phyllis about Billy Cassidy’s murder. Cary confided to Mae that he was worried about Phyllis. She always seemed to be short of money, even though she was working steadily. Just what was she doing with her money? Mae knew Cary was – for a better word – thrifty, and while he might not mind picking up the check for dinner, he would never volunteer to pay for a girl’s new pair of shoes. Cary also told Mae that Phyllis confessed she had once been married to the former cowboy star, but that she has refused to talk about it since the night of his death.

So, Mae thought, the little blonde cutie finally came clean. Mae and Billy went way back, way before he came to Hollywood. She knew him as one half of the vaudeville act Voss and Ross, the other partner being one Alan Ross. Voss was the straight man/singer and Ross was the comedian/dancer. A male impersonator by the name of Anabel Rose traveled with Voss and Ross. She was pretty darn good, as Mae remembered, if a bit on the short side. Mae soon set her sights on Broadway and then Hollywood, while Carl Voss headed for Hollywood, changed his name to Billy Cassidy, and became a cowboy star. While sitting in a jail cell in Manhattan in 1927 for corrupting the morals of theater-goers with her play, Sex, Mae read in the papers that Cassidy had acquired a wife, the former vamp star known as Anastasia Petrova. Mae never met Anastasia, since her star had flamed out by the time she had married Billy, but Mae knew 3 things:  1. Anastasia was once Anabel Rose, sister of Alan Rosenberg, aka Alan Ross, 2. Anastasia and Billy were never legally divorced, and 3. the marriage to Phyllis Brooks was a sham. Mae also suspected one other thing: It was Anastasia, aka Anabel Rose in drag, who slipped her that note the night of the murder.

Now Mae had only one dilemma: should she tell Archer all she knew before the meeting with Cary and Phyllis or after?

To be continued....

-  Submitted by Marsha Collock

Part 11

Cary was having second thoughts about meeting with Archer. He had worked too hard to get where he was, to get dragged into a scandal… especially a murder. The more he thought about it, the more he knew he didn’t want to get involved.

He called his agent, Frank Vincent. Frank had recently helped Cary become a “free-agent” (of sorts) with an unprecedented dual studio contract with RKO and Columbia Pictures. Frank would know what to do!

The doorbell rang. It wasn’t Archer, at all. There stood Old Mae, herself.

She looked behind her to see if she’d been followed, then hurried in and slammed the door. Not the glamour girl her fans had come to love, here instead stood an out of breath woman in a trench coat and galoshes. She was surprised to see that Phyllis was still in tow.

“Cary, you’ve gotta help me. Phyllis, you might as well hear this, too. You’re gonna find out soon enough, I think we’re BOTH involved up to our elbows in this murder…”

Just then, lawyers from both studios arrived at Cary’s bungalow. They were none too happy to see that, now, Mae West was also involved. “Don’t say ANYTHING”, was their advice. A play-it-safe plan, to be sure.

But what about Phyllis…? Frank was assigned the task of driving the B-actress home. “Mae you’d better hop in, too. I don’t know what you’re doing here… maybe you can fill me in on the way.”

As the threesome left, Mae muttered under her breath, “… that damn Voss!”

Ten minutes later, Archer was bangin’ on the door.

To be continued….

Submitted by Missy Kendrick

Part 12

Her laugh filled The Brown Derby. "You wake up when the copper's banging on the door? That wouldn’t sell a ticket to anyone’s grandmother, honey." She shook her head as she perused the room. All was back to normal in the Hollywood establishment, " Imagine meinvolved in a murder," she continued, "and worse - panicked!  Panic inhibits and you know that’s not my style.”  Cary Grant all but rolled his eyes as Mae West did her best…well, Mae West.  Walter Huston, who occupied the next booth with his wife shook his head in amusement.  “We came that close to a scandal, Mae” Grant said annoyed and gesturing with his fingers, "and I’m glad that entire episode is over.”  Mae sighed, “Oh lighten up.  Who doesn’t need a scandal now and again?  To quote our dear Hedda,” Mae said with a sneer, “Nobody’s interested in sweetness and light.”  Mae, who didn’t miss a beat, turned to talk with Jack Benny who’d just finished saying hello to the Hustons.  Cary’s mind turned to Phyllis Brooks.  Poor Phyllis he thought.  She’d made it through the entire Carl Voss affair, but not without a few scars.

“Where are you?” Mae asked turning her attention back to Cary and noticing his blank expression.  “Don’t tell me.  How is your Phyllis?”  Cary didn’t bother to answer deciding to leave well enough alone.  Any mention of Phyllis will surely bring up her last movie, which you couldn’t pay people to see.  Mae would have a field day with that.  

“Her latest movie…what is it?” Mae asked as if she could hear his thoughts.  “Slightly Honorable,” Grant replied.  Mae lifted a brow, “Please, it’s not even slightly good.  Decent cast.  Shitty movie.  But we’ll change the subject.  Let’s talk about a real tragedy,” Mae said, “Poor Carl had real talent and he threw it all away.  Screwed himself up so bad not even my name could open doors for him.  He tried for the Chaplin picture, you know, the day he got murdered.  He gambled and lost.  And all for your Phyllis.”  Grant just stared as the entire Carl Voss affair replayed in his mind.  It’d been a few months since Detective Archer had questioned him, if that’s what you call it.

Despite the seriousness of the policeman’s demeanor he hadn't been beyond name-dropping.  “I’m here at Mae’s request.  She said you prefer a private meeting.” “Come in” Grant said reluctantly to Archer who stood in the doorway, “although I’m sure I have nothing to offer your investigation.”  The Detective stepped in, “I think you know more than you let on.  Although,” the cop continued as he took stock of the vast living room, “I already know how things went down.  Just tidying up loose ends.”  People he cared about were involved and Grant couldn’t quite hide his nervousness.   Still, he did his best to sound disinterested, “You won’t find any of those loose ends here, Archer.”  

The story Archer relayed was straight out of a B picture.  As it turns out Anastasia Petrova aka Anabel Rose had been the mastermind of a Hollywood blackmail scheme in conjunction with Al Ross since arriving in Hollywood two decades earlier.  She’d tried to get money out of the likes of Jack Warner and later Harry Cohn, but both men simply replied they’d squash her like a bug if she tried anything.  No skin off her back though.  Using Carl’s connections Anastasia turned her focus to smaller fish, primarily starlets and up-and-comers with no studio behind them to bury their sordid pasts.  Al was the information guy gathering intel as he got people good and plastered at which time they were all too eager to spill the beans.  It was only a matter of time before Anastasia focused in on Phyllis Brooks.  And she had plenty to milk for.  The fact that Phyllis had not been legally married to Carl, but instead lived with a married man would yield a steady income on its own.  It was up to Carl to make sure she got paid or the career of his beloved Phyllis was over.  Carl told Phyllis it was a loan, monthly payments he’d return as soon as he got a shot in a picture.  And he tried.  Over and over again, but people talk and everyone knew Carl was on the skids - to put it mildly.

Sick and tired of Anastasia and hurt knowing Phyllis was stepping out with Cary Grant, a bonafide Hollywood player whose career was on the rise, Carl refused to pay Anastasia any longer.  He was determined to make it and approached Mae West for help.  A last resort.  Unfortunately, he did so too late.  His luck ran out when his oldest friend Al pushed a knife into him just as he was reaching for a Cobb Salad in the kitchen of The Brown Derby.

Cary shook his head to clear it and noticed Mae was no longer in the booth.  Suddenly he looked up just as Mae sauntered over.  “Are we leaving?” she asked before reaching the table.  “No.  Sit down,” he replied.  “Oooh, forceful,” she said, but her expression sobered when she noticed Cary’s concern, “I know you want all this behind you,” he said, “to put 1939 behind you, but it just occurred to me that Archer never mentioned your name.  You’re involved in this thing somehow.  I know you are.”  With a straight face, but never missing a beat she retorted, “He never mentioned me?  What a disappointed.  Archer and I have been...um...playing cards together for years.”  She cleared her throat when Cary’s gaze remained perfectly still.  “Look, kid, I have skeletons in my closet," Mae said, "big, hairy skeletons and Archer knows them all.  One of those is gambling, which is what Anastasia tried to unsettle me with when she handed me the note the night Carl was murdered.  “Someone has a gambling problem” referred to me.  I’mthe someone in her note.  I’m guessing it was a warning that I was her next target.  But I’m a big fish, never batted an eye and told Archer the entire story as soon as I could. Still, even if I hadn't, there’s no way Anastasia could’ve pressed me for anything.  I know a lot of people and a lot of people owe me favors.  That’s it.  There’s nothing more to tell.”  Cary looked down at his drink satisfied that he could trust Mae and then she interrupted, “Why you insist on dwelling on this ugliness is beyond me.  Let’s talk about the Hawks picture, the remake of THE FRONT PAGE that has the entire room buzzing. When do you leave for New York?”  “Next week,” he said with a faint smile.  “Good,” Mae said, “New York will cleanse your palate.  And that Roz Russell’s a gem. Let me tell you something,” she said suddenly and seriously as she took his hand, “Cary Grant's gonna be bigger than Gable.  Men are going to want be him.  Women will want to be with him and," he squirmed a bit in his seat, "AND, you know I'm never wrong. Now let’s get out of here.  I want to go to the Coconut Grove.”

(submitted by Aurora Desmond)

THE END

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Cafe Society: Woody Allen Channels Billy Wilder

August 5, 2016, 5:20 pm

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Warning! Spoilers ahead.

There I was, blissfully enjoying “Café Society,” Woody Allen’s latest film, on its own merits. The setting of Hollywood in the golden 1930s was a home run for me and the characters and plot were pure Woody – whose work I always enjoy. So, imagine the extra  jolt of pleasure when I started seeing similarities to one of my favorite films, Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment.”

Buddy Boy and Bobby - 2 up and comers

Allen’s hero Bobby (played by Jesse Eisenberg, an acceptable Woody-stand-in) is a young man of ambition, wanting to leave the hum-drum fate that would surely be his by following his father’s footsteps in Brooklyn, to the glamour of Hollywood. Lucky for him, his uncle Phil (Steve Carell, who just seems too nice) is a big shot agent. Like C.C. Baxter, he is a young man who is eager to succeed.

Uncle Phil and Mr. Sheldrake - bosses with benefits

After some false starts, Bobby finds a place in his Uncle’s office,  but the place he would like to be most comfortable is in the arms of his Uncle’s lovely assistant, Vonnie. Vonnie clearly likes Bobby and the 2 become good friends. Bobby wants more and Vonnie holds back. She has a boyfriend. And so, like CC Baxter waiting outside the Music Man for Fran Kubelik, Bobby waits for a romantic dinner with Vonnie. But both ladies had other plans.

I was riding along on a single track with Woody when the breath was knocked out of me a bit as Vonnie met in a darkened restaurant with her lover, who just happens to be Bobby’s Uncle Phil – Vonnie’s boss and Bobby’s, too. It was the same breathless reaction I had when Miss Kubelik meets Mr. Sheldrake for the first time. A little shocked, a little sad.

Kristen Stewart as Vonnie steals the show. Like Shirley Maclaine, but not at all like Shirley Maclaine, she is different from the other girls, She is genuine and unique in a world of bland prettiness.

As Vonnie keeps her double life secret, both Bobby and Phil pursue her. Unlike the cad Sheldrake, Phil actually does leave his wife, but not before he does much soul searching (Woody is never as cynical as Billy Wilder).  In both films, an important item sets our clueless heroes straight. For CC Baxter, a broken compact reveals the heartbreaking truth that the girl of his dreams in having an affair with her married boss. 

For Bobby, a framed letter love letter from Rudolph Valentino to an unnamed amour that sits on Uncle Phil’s desk provides the same shattering realization. In the end, Vonnie chooses Phil and Bobby’s hopes are crushed. What if Sheldrake had left his wife for Fran? “Café Society” presents an alternate view of “The Apartment’s” triangle, a photograph in negative.

Vonnie embraces her choice; Fran dodges a bullet

The break-up only reinforces Bobby's need to return to New York where, working with his gangster brother, he helps run a fashionable night club. His rough edges get polished, his confidence grows and he even marries a beautiful shiksa goddess (whose name is also Veronica – go figure - and played by an impossibly nice Blake Lively). All is well (well, except that the brother is executed) when, years later, Phil and Vonnie visit the café and old memories, never far from the surface, are again stirred. It all culminates at a New Year’s Eve party, just like in “The Apartment,” but instead of a happy ending for the lovers, both are left with the melancholy longing for the road not traveled.

The choices made by the characters in both films determine the outcome. Phil chooses to change his life for Vonnie and his decision made her chose him. Sheldrake, tossed out by his wife, chooses Fran by default, but she chooses CC Baxter. Fran remains true to her self, while Vonnie changes (as most people do). While Woody is more romantic than Wilder, he is also a sadder and wiser realist operating in a sadder and wiser world. In 1960, perhaps there was hope that CC and Fran would make a go of it and stay the same sweet kids who leave us playing gin. In 2016, we know it is most likely that Vonnie and Bobby would not risk all for love without a gilt-edged guarantee.

Sunset Boulevard: But What about the Monkey?

September 9, 2016, 8:10 am

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No, I don't think he committed suicide.....

I can’t help it. I want to know more about Norma Desmond’s monkey.

Monkey, we hardly knew you.....

Oh sure, we know he’s dead, and that he serves as the plot device to get Joe Gillis into Norma’s cage, but, really, who was he? Was he, as Joe guesses, a distant relative of Cheetah? What was his name? Was he a movie star? Was he rescued from a circus? How did he and Norma meet? Was heeven a “he”? After all, she did want to line the coffin in pink.

Yeah, yeah, he’s the crystal ball into which Joe can see his future – becoming Norma’s new monkey (remember that dream he has about the organ grinder and the monkey?). But, I’d really like to know more about him. Did he like bananas for breakfast? Was he a clever and urbane conversationalist? Was he able to mix Norma’s favorite cocktail? Did he and Max get along? Did he have a smoking jacket?

Could Monkey hold his liquor?

Like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the monkey moves the plot along. But unlike those serviceable characters that are expendable, the monkey is missed. 

Did Monkey help Norma with Salome?

Imagine if he had lived! He could have advised Joe NOT to get the vicuna. And, he might have helped Joe keep his clandestine meetings with a little more discrete. Even better, he might have helped Joe escape (after helping him punch up Norma’s Salome).

The New Year's Eve before the end,,,,,,,

I imagine that chimp being quite extraordinary in all ways. Norma was a great star who had great demands (3 husbands!) And yet, she mourned that monkey. His death left a hole in the happy little threesome that we never got to see.

Monkey had refined table manners, which I'm sure Norma and Max appreciated

Billy Wilder reportedly kept telling Gloria Swanson that Norma was doing the monkey, but I’m not buying it. I picture the monkey as more of an Oscar Wilde type – witty, charming and possibly gay. Written in the margins of Sunset Boulevard’s main story is the story of an unnamed monkey who died in luxury but whose life remains a mystery.

Norma in her monkey fur coat. Could this have been a relative?

The Great Dictator: Beware of Buffoons

September 29, 2016, 4:48 pm

≫ Next: Hollywood on Hollywood Blogathon: Hollywood Steps Out

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This is my entry in the Dual Roles Blogathon hosted by the great bloggers at Christina Wehner: Classic Movies, Musicals, Old Books and the Great American Songbook and Silver Screenings. Check both sites for more fabulous cinematic doubles.

THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940)

In one of history's greatest ironies, the world's most evil man shared a distinctive mustache with a cinematic symbol of compassion, humor and humanity. Most movie stars would have shied away from the comparison, but Chaplin pursued it and, in "The Great Dictator," created one of the most courageous cinematic statements against fascism and its accompanying terror.

In the Ghetto...

While the Jewish Barber is not the Little Tramp, they share some similarities. Aside from a physical likeness, they are kindly citizens and tender of heart.

A WWI hero, the barber returns home to Tomainia with amnesia. His country is changing. He is philosophical, this gentle soul and tries to make the best of the bad situation. The country he fought for would never harm him, would it?

The barber even manages to find love in the ghetto. His scenes with Paulette Goddard are quite charming. The Tramp was no stranger to romance, and the barber is his soul mate in this respect.

Chaplin adds a barber-ballet with old Keystone buddy, Chester Conklin, and it's a nostalgic delight -no words necessary.

Meanwhile..

A mirror image in life and a negative image of the soul, Adenoid Hynkle, dictator of Tomainia, is at work on his plan to take over the world. 

Adenoid Hynkle is a bigot, a bully, a braggart and a danger to civilization. When audiences see Hynkle, they know it is Hitler.

Bullies need friends, and just as Hitler  needed Mussolini, Hynkle joins forces with the dictator of Bacteria, Benzino Napaloni. Napaloni, the buffoon, is played to perfection by Jack Oakie, and his scenes with Chaplin are some of the film's funniest. 

The switch

And yes, the doubles are switched. Not to give to much away, but Hynkle, out of uniform and shooting ducks, is mistaken for the barber and shot. The barber is enlisted to take his place. Good replaces evil and hope is restored.

The Great Dictator, made at a time when the United States was not officially at war with Germany and before the public was fully aware of the horrors of the concentration camps, was an exercise in great courage. Hitler and Mussolini might well have been viewed as buffoons, worthy of ridicule and a chuckle. Chaplin truly put his beliefs on full display. The comedy is unforgettable, but the message is important and timeless, even more so in these perilous times:                       

The Great Dictator was Chaplin's first full sound film and he chose to use his voice in the most powerful way possible -  with humor and deep conviction. He remained true to himself and spoke the truth and provided the world with a great film and a tale still too relevant in these times.

Hollywood on Hollywood Blogathon: Hollywood Steps Out

October 17, 2016, 10:39 am

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This is my entry in the CMBA Hollywood on Hollywood Blogathon. Click HERE to read more about films that focus on our favorite town in the world.

Hollywood Steps Out (1941)

Before I ever saw Ann Sheridan,  George Raft and even Greta Garbo in a movie, I knew who they were because of the Warner Brothers Merrie Meoldies cartoon "Hollywood Steps Out."

According to Wikipedia, this 1941 $50 meal would run approximately $804 today

On a "typical" night at Ciro's, more stars than there were in heaven graced that famous watering hole. When I asked my mother "who's that?" she identified the star and their reputation as lampooned in the cartoon.

Ann Sheridan? She was known as "The Oomph Girl" because she had lots of sex appeal.

The "Oomph Girl" and Edward G. Robinson

Greta Garbo? She was a Swedish star known for her big feet. Cary Grant? He used to say "Judy, Judy, Judy."

Garbo uses her large shoes to light a match for Cary Grant. In real life, Garbo only wore a size 8 shoes.

Speaking of Garbo, I love her reaction when Harpo gives her a hot foot:

Bing Crosby? He was a singer who liked to go to the racetrack. He is the guy who hosts "The Hollywood Palace."

Crosby and his favorite pastime

George Raft? He was a tough guy actor who became famous flipping a coin.

Tough guys Cagney, Bogart and Raft share a moment

Favorites like Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and Buster Keaton appear.

Mickey and Judy at their "Andy Hardy" best

Buster Keaton, Arthur Treacher and Boris Karloff looking as happy as possible.

Dorothy Lamour was famous for wearing a sarong and James Stewart played the shy types.

And a night at Ciro's would not be complete without these guys. I did not need my mother to identify them!

No party is complete without the Stooges

Naturally, a wolf (namely Clark Gable) is on the prowl, but his prey is not exactly who he thought "she" was!

Gable's back and Groucho's got him!

There are many more stars and even an appearance "gee"man, J. Edgar Hoover!

William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Gilbert Roland, Errol Flynn, Wallace Beery and C. Aubrey Smith admire the ladies.

Head "G" Man J. Edgar Hoover

Henry Fonda

In a way, this little cartoon was my introduction to a whole host of Hollywood stars and the mystique of Tinsel Town. It was all done with affection and admiration. 

Please, sit back and enjoy this little gem. I just love it!

Voices were provided by this talented trio:

Kent Rogers (Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Ned Sparks, Bing Crosby, James Stewart, Clark Gable, Kay Kyser, J. Edgar Hoover, Henry Fonda and Groucho Marx)

Mel Blanc (Jerry Colona, Peter Lorre)

Sara Berner (Greta Garbo, Ann Sheridan, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour and Henry Fonda's mother)

Sunny (1930): Bareback Rider Plays Marriage Merry-Go-Round

November 11, 2016, 3:16 pm

≫ Next: Black and White - A Poetic Love Letter

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This is my entry in the Circus Blogathon hosted by Critica Retro and  Serendipitous Anachronisms. Click HERE for more Big Top excitement!

Sunny (1930)

Sunny in her circus costume. Wasn't she a pretty little bareback rider?

"Sunny" started out with high hopes. It was based upon a successful Broadway show, had a score by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and starred its original Broadway star, the great Marilyn Miller. Once sound films swept the nation, musicals and stage stars flooded the theaters. 

Marilyn Miller

Marilyn Miller was one of the musical theater's greatest stars and she seemed a natural for film. She was lured to Hollywood by Warner Brothers (Jack specifically, with whom she had a cozy relationship) and paid a then astronomical figure of $100,000 to film her greatest sage hit, "Sally." It was a smash and Warners quickly planned to film another of Marilyn's stage hits, "Sunny."

Marilyn Miller in her stage consume as "Sunny." More circus and less glamour than the film version

Sadly, by the time "Sunny" was ready for release, the onslaught of musicals (specifically bad musicals) resulted in a public backlash against the genre. Too much of a bad thing set "Sunny" back and the result was a musical without hardly any music. Since the music was the whole point of the show, movie-goers were left with a "Sunny" featuring a silly and paper-thin story (British circus performer loves an engaged man, stows away on a ship to America and marries another man to gain entry and then divorces said man and gets her guy) without the music to support it. To add insult to injury, the leading man (Lawrence Gray) is a pill. Imagine if it was Fred Astaire......

Sunny waits for her Prince Charming

Still, "Sunny" has much to offer, chiefly the lovely Miss Miller. No matter how much Warners may have wanted to cut the musical numbers, it was unthinkable to put their star in a movie without several dance numbers. And this is where she shines. I offer you exhibit #1 below. When she says'"let's have some fun, you can see she really means it. 

They also could not omit the show's hit number "Who?" Marilyn wasn't a great singer, but the poor quality of the sound doesn't do her any favors. Still, her star power gets her through. Here she is with the uninspiring Mr. Gray.

Personally, I found Marilyn's performance in "Sunny" even more appealing than her performance in "Sally." She comes across as quite an adorable and cheeky woman and looked lovely once she was adorned in her non-stowaway clothes. It's a shame that there was only one more film in store for Marilyn before she headed back to Broadway. I thought she had quite a nice comic touch when not trying to play the innocent.

Another joy is the inclusion of Joe Donahue as the hapless fellow who Sunny marries and then divorces. Joe was the brother of Jack Donahue, a favorite stage dancing partner of Marilyn Miller. While his film career was pretty non-existent, he and Marilyn pair comfortably in "When We Get Our Divorce." Since I can't find a stand alone clip of their dance, I am posting the entire film and ask you to go to 58:17 to see this delightful pairing.

Sadly, much of the music was cut cut from the film before release in the US. The existing version of "Sunny" is pretty tattered and badly in need of preservation. A full musical version of this film that included the entire original score was released outside of the US (where they apparently had not yet tired of musicals). Oh, if only this version would surface!

Sunny dreaming of fleeing the circus and winning her man

After one more (non-musical) film, Marilyn Miller returned to Broadway in the aptly named "As Thousands Cheer." Sadly, she would die in 1936 at age 37. Still, the legacy of the darling little circus girl, Sunny, still lives on. If you happen to be in New York City at the corner of Broadway and 46th Street, look up. She is there surveying her kingdom of Broadway.

Interested in knowing more about Marilyn Miller? Check out "The Other Marilyn," by Warren G. Harris.

Black and White - A Poetic Love Letter

December 4, 2016, 10:22 am

≫ Next: La La Land - All in...Almost

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What is it about those films of the 1930’s that makes movie fans all over the world open their hearts and willingly step into a unique place and time all its own? No matter how much time passes or how the world changes, these films continue to speak to a universal longing that spans cultures and time.

I recently asked my friends at FlickChick’s Movie Playgroundon Facebook to describe the allure of those magical films from that magical era in 3 words or less. With their help, I offer up a little love letter to all of those films, large and small, great and not-so great. Here we go!

Black and White

Take me away

Glamour hides hurt

Tuxes and talent

Gangsters and gold-diggers

All so elegant

Lighthearted and charming

Stories told succinctly

Stars, style, sets

Beauty and danger

You know the way

To my Heart

To my Imagination 

Escape from reality

Sparkle and wit

Nick and Nora

Groucho, Chico, Harpo.

Bette and Joan

Cagney and Kay

Kate and Coop

Artisans at work

Factory made dreams

A moment in time

Forever and unchanging

Blissfully the same

You are there

Always for me

And me alone

Alone in the dark

Black and White

Beautiful to me.

Many thanks for the following for their inspiration and participation: Tina, Antoinette, Kevin, Dee, Patricia, J.  Steve, Maggie, Rosanne, Tracey, Melanie, Darlene, Mary N, Sandra, M.A., Alicia, Mike, Christine, Susan, Ann, Stacy, Russell, Julie, Lynn, Vince, Rosemarie, Greg, Margie, Mary M., Ellen and Tracy.

La La Land - All in...Almost

January 2, 2017, 11:47 am

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I'm all in with "La La Land." No hesitation.. almost. 

Dance and romance among the stars

You love classic film? You love a charming musical score? You love charismatic stars? You love enchantment? Go see it. "La La Land" is an all out/all in movie musical, which presented me with a surprising dilemma.

"Another Day of Sun" in a typical LA traffic jam

Director Damien Chazelle has created a musical with no ifs, ands or buts. It is an homage to great musicals (and a few non-musicals) of the past (how many can you spot?) and he clearly has a "thing" for Ingrid Bergman. "La La Land" tells the timeless Hollywood story of aspiring actress Mia Dolan (Emma Stone) and struggling jazz musician Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling). 

Mia's adorable apartment in Hollywood, shared by fellow struggling actresses

It establishes its intent with a knock-out opening musical sequence in a Los Angeles traffic jam and never changes gears. It never looks down its nose at the genre, it never tries to mask its roots with a hip, modern attitude. Mia and Sebastian struggle and follow their dreams and we root wholeheartedly for them. So why, why did I hang back for a portion of the film?

Mia and Sebastian never leave home without their two-toned tap shoes

Why are people breaking into song or a dance in the middle of a story more acceptable (to me) when filmed over a half a century ago? 

I'm all in for him!

Ryan Gosling is a revelation. His ease with the dance and the music was enchanting and he displays a real star quality that induces more than a sigh or two. 

Mia looking chic for a night out on the town

Emma Stone, while not quite as comfortable with the dance, is a winsome heroine. I finally had to admit that, to paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault lies not in the stars, but in me.

Mia and Sebastian follow their dreams and their hearts

"La La Land" had to break through my own modern defenses. Why would I not immediately buy into the story of Mia and Sebastian while willingly accept Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden's romance? It wasn't them, it was me. Would I accept "Casablanca" so completely if the very same film was made today? But, "La La Land" did not let me off easy, and eventually I surrendered to the enchantment. The scene at the Griffith Observatory where the lovers dance among the stars sealed the deal. From then on, I was all in and if felt so good to be transported on the musical magic carpet ride.

Come on - kiss!

No spoilers here, but I'll just say that this love letter to Hollywood, to musicals, to star power and to romance is, for me, a winner. I think I will have to see it again because it's great to be enchanted at the movies and not in front of the TV.

La La Land in La la Land

I'm now adding Mia and Sebastian to the endless parade of movie-mad characters whose journeys to the promised land of Hollywood sometimes end in triumph and, often, heartbreak.

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Giveaway Alert! - Win a copy of "Mary Astor's Purple Diary"

January 13, 2017, 11:59 am

≫ Next: Debbie Reynolds: Gene Kelly could never have known

≪ Previous: La La Land - All in...Almost

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Keep reading to learn how to win a copy of "Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936" by Edward Sorel.

When a celebrity sex scandal of the 1930s runs into a 1960’s left leaning liberal political cartoonist, the result is a comical and affectionate re-telling of the scandal along with some down to earth biographical details and some even more charming and delicious illustrations. DO NOT read this book on your e-reader.

the beautiful Mary Astor

Edward Sorel, our author, and Mary Astor, the subject of this story, met, according to the author “cute.” You know, kind of like they did in the movies. Only Mr. Sorel met Mary while he was ripping up some linoleum in his New York City kitchen in 1965. Underneath the tired floor of his rent-controlled apartment was a treasure trove of newspaper articles about the great Hollywood sex scandal of 1936 – the tale of Mary Astor’s purple diary. Well, you know how these things go. Once a movie buff gets fixated on something and someone we have to research it down to the studs. And that’s what Edward Sorel did. Along the way he developed a huge crush on the lady, strange as it seemed to him. He - an avowed atheist and she a devout Catholic who spent too much time with the bottle  - did not seem to be a match made in heaven (or wherever). But, as the author explains: "Isn't every couple an odd couple? Why would Chopin, who had TB, fall in love with a woman who smoked cigars? Why would Donald Trump, who prides himself on good taste, fall in love with Donald Trump? Obsessions by their very nature defy reason." See how much fun this book is?

Poor Mary Astor – she had such a miserable upbringing (see here for the story of her horrid parents). Her father – who Sorel calls “a Teutonic fathead” - pushed his beautiful daughter into the movies and basically made her support the loathsome duo that were her parents until she escaped into marriage #1 (but not before having a flaming affair with the much older John Barrymore). Sadly, that marriage (to director Kenneth Hawks, brother of Howard) ended tragically when Hawks died in a plane accident while filming the aerial scenes of “Such Men are Dangerous” (1930). She then tied the knot with Dr. Franklyn Thorpe the following year and subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Marylyn. Thorpe, it turns out, was a pill and a bore and Mary, it turns out, had a more than healthy sexual appetite. What’s a girl to do but seek fulfillment elsewhere? One of the elsewheres she sought out was the bed of the great Broadway playwright, George S. Kaufman. Mary and George apparently enjoyed one another quite a bit, but George was married and ultimately committed to his wife and Mary, who also had literary talents, kept a diary.

Mary's diary hits the press

Mary and Thorpe decided to divorce, but when the couple quarreled over custody of Marylyn, Thorpe pulled out the secret weapon of Mary’s tell-all diary. Many faked entries were leaked to the press, but the real entries had all of Hollywood shaking in their boots? Apparently, Mary was a busy gal who named names and also commented on the sexual prowess of her partners. Thorpe held this over Mary’s head in order to force her to back down from the custody fight. Mary, bless her heart, fought back and won her battle, though not without a great personal cost.

Mary and George share a romantic time in Manhattan. Little did George know Mary was also a writer.

Not only does Sorel tell a zippy story, but he also sprinkles Mary’s story with some choice and amusing biographical anecdotes of his own. He’s a very interesting fellow!

Mary maintains her dignity in court and proves she is a superb actress

And, of course, there are the wonderful illustrations. These alone are worth the price of the book.

Sometimes those press conferences go awry....

I love a good book about a Hollywood scandal that treats its stars with compassion, humor and respect. For anyone that loves an great tale well told and illustrated, this book will not disappoint.

Mary gets Marylyn

And now for the giveaway

By January 31st, just follow these directions:

1. Email me at flickchick1953@aol.com

2. Write "Giveaway" in the subject line of the email

3. Remember to give me your name in the body of the email.

The winner will be notified on February 1st.

Good Luck!

Debbie Reynolds: Gene Kelly could never have known

February 1, 2017, 7:37 am

≫ Next: A Pharmacy of Film: Help Me Find the Right RX

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Tales of how hard Gene Kelly was on 19 year old Debbie Reynolds during the filming of “Singin’ in the Rain” are legend. He was a tough task master who gave this young, non-dancer no sympathy. Did he look at her and see a youngster who had not proven herself? Just another ingénue imposed upon him by the studio? He worked her hard and offered little encouragement to her while her feet bled and her heart sank.

Debbie and her task master

No doubt the master was right. But how could he have known that the wholesome and hardworking kid (who rose to the challenge and won his respect) would become the last joyous representative of the studio star system and the keeper of the flame? Yes, Olivia de Havilland is with us, as is Doris Day, but they never wore their stardom joyously. Olivia fought the studio system with all her might and then retreated to France. Doris never seemed to enjoy it and, instead, found her passion in caring for the animals and in her Carmel-by-the-Sea home far away from Hollywood.

Debbie at her spunkiest (and loveliest) in "The Mating Game"

Only Debbie, sprightly, spunky Debbie Reynolds, never quite the greatest talent at the studio, embraced her role as Hollywood movie star. And we loved her for it. She may not have been the best actress, comedienne, singer or dancer, but her exuberance was unparalleled.  As only a star can, she lit up the movie screen and later the television screen and the stage simply by being Debbie. We have come to learn that it wasn’t always easy for her and that her later appearances were not a true reflection of her condition, but she made the effort for us. The illusion was for us. That’s what a move star does and that’s straight out of the Mary Pickford-Joan Crawford playbook. 

Debbie and Molly Brown - both unsinkable

Not only did Debbie continue to give us a Hollywood movie star well into the era where such people ceased to exist, she also became the keeper of its history. Through her massive purchase and warehousing of the costume and set treasures of Hollywood and her failed effort to find a museum for these articles she knew had an important history, she acknowledged the importance of Hollywood, its glamour and legends. For a peek at only a part of Debbie's massive collection at auction, click here. Marilyn Monroe’s billowing subway dress from "The Seven Year Itch" sold for $5.52 million and the Audrey Hepburn Ascot gown from "My Fair Lady" went for $4.44 million. (The collection would ultimately fetch more than $30 million).

$4.4 million!

Thanks, Debbie. You were wonderful and I think we are not really aware of how much we will really miss you.

A Pharmacy of Film: Help Me Find the Right RX

April 23, 2017, 12:50 pm

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Ever been in the dumps? Filled with fear and anxiety? Depressed? Unworthy? Overcome by heartache?

Who hasn't? Getting past the pain is rough, but if you love movies, you know they can be downright therapeutic. Film has gotten me through some of the roughest patches in my life. Trouble is, I can't always put my finger on the right film to soothe the pain at the right time. So, while I am in a serene frame of mind, I'd like to start building a Pharmacy of Film to match the right film to the right ailment.

Right now, here's what's in my medicine chest of movies:

Ailment:Hopelessness

Chaplin is my go-to guy here. Who is more downtrodden than the Little Tramp? Yet, though it all, he manages to pick himself up and look for a better tomorrow. He truly has been and remains and inspiration. While his hope for the future shines through in almost all of his films, the end of "The Circus" lifts my spirits from the depths.

Ailment: Fear
Who is more fearful than Charlotte Vale in "Now Voyager"? Her journey from fearful to fearless is always, always and inspiration.

Ailment:Sadness
A double dose needed here: "The Music Man" and "Gigi." Professor Harold Hill for the 100% joyous performance of Robert Preston and Gigi, Gaston and especially Honore as portrayed by Maurice Chevalier for the masterful depiction of the joy of love and life in all seasons.

Ailment: Unworthy/Not Good Enough
If I'm feeling like I just don't measure up, I need to spend some time with wife #2 of "Rebecca" and Paula Alquist Anton of "Gaslight." Watching them as they struggle to feel worthy, I always want to shout "you are more than good enough! In fact, you are too good!" I need to shout that at myself at those times.

And, just in case the above 2 films don't work, I might try a dose of false confidence from the supremely confident Lina Lamont. 

It might not last, but it might just get me through the day.

Ailment: Loneliness/Heartache
Can't cope with loneliness? Nobody is more of an inspiration than poor Tom Hanks in "Castaway." That's lonely! So, stop feeling sad because nobody called you today.

C.C. Baxter and Fran Kubelik not only show that loneliness can come to an end, but that heartache can be healed, as well. I love those 2 kids. Their happiness is well deserved. I'm rooting for them all the while my heart is healing just a bit.

As for heartache, whose heart aches more than Chaplin's in "City Light?" And yet, for all of his suffering, he finds a reason to smile.

Ailment: Unable to Move Forward

When I am paralyzed by life, Steve Martin's "The Jerk" reminds me to just keep moving. While someone out there might hate those cans of oil, you might just invent something that makes millions!

That's just a tiny start. Please share more "ailments" and more movie cures! Your contribution might just make someone feel just a little bit better. 

Underseen and Underrated: Carrie (1952): Laurence Olivier's Last Chance at Love

May 14, 2017, 9:08 am

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William Wyler directs Laurence Olivier, in possibly his greatest film performance, in a tale of obsessive passion. No, it’s not “Wuthering Heights.” I’m talking about 1952’s “Carrie,” based on Theodore Dreiser’s novel, “Sister Carrie.” What – you haven’t seen it? Don’t feel badly, most people haven’t.

Olivier’s 1939 Heathcliff was a powerful depiction of obsession fueled by passion. His George Hurstwood in “Carrie,” also has a passionate obsession, but this time it is shaded by the melancholy of autumnal love. Hurstwood’s single-minded pursuit of Carrie at all costs (big costs) leads him to ruin and us to heartbreak.

Carrie was not meant for drudge work

Innocent Carrie Meeber (Jennifer Jones) leaves her poverty and small town behind for a chance at a better, more exciting life in the big city of Chicago. While on the train to the city, Carrie meets fast-talking traveling salesman, Charles Drouet (Eddie Albert). He sweet talks her in an effort to pick her up, but Carrie resists. Still, Drouet knows an easy mark when he sees one. He hands her his card and tells her to look him up when she gets settled. In Chicago Carrie bunks with her hard-working and poor sister and brother-in-law. They live in the slums and, clearly, this is not the glamorous big city life Carrie envisioned for herself (Jennifer Jones looks as though she is smelling something slightly disgusting). Because Carrie is expected to pay her own way, her sister gets her a job at a garment factory. It is soon apparent that Carrie is not made for such work. She injures herself on day one, is fired, and never looks back.

The fly traps the spider

Desperate not to let her family know she is unemployed, Carrie looks up Charlie, who is only too happy to see her. In only a Chicago minute, Carrie is living the life of middle class luxury as the kept woman of the traveling salesman. Charlie may not want to marry her, but he is good to her. On their first evening together they dine at Fitzgerald’s, an upscale restaurant managed by the elegant George Hurstwood (Olivier). Hurstwood is immediately taken by the fresh young Carrie. Charlie is too busy to notice.

Charlie can't see what's going on here

As Carrie pressures for marriage, Charlie continues to string her along. One night he invites his friend Hurstwood to dinner. Carrie is immediately attracted to her older, more polished, and richer guest who does not judge her morally questionable living conditions. She and Hurstwood chat about their mutual love of the theater and, before you know it, the unsuspecting Charlie suggests Hurstwood escort Carrie to a show while he is out of town. What a dummy.

While the cat's away.....

Before long, Carrie and Hurstwood are spending time together and falling in love. For Carrie, Hurstwood is a step up; for him she is a last chance. Finally Charlie catches on and tells her that she is a fool because Hurstwood is married. It seems Hurstwood did neglect to tell Carrie that important tidbit of information. She breaks it off, but is led back into contact with the sly old dog when he tells her that Charlie has been injured and he must take her to him. Naturally, it’s a lie, but Carrie has it bad for him and Hurstwood promises to leave his wife.

The imperious Mrs. Hurstwood will not be denied

He does try to keep his promise to Carrie, but his shrew of a wife (Miriam Hopkins) will not agree to a divorce. Evidently, she is the one with the money and she chafes at being married to a mere restaurant manager. She hangs on, it seems, for appearance and spite. Hurstwood is determined not to lose his last chance at happiness, storms out of his grand house and back to Fitzgerald’s to lock up. In what is portrayed as an accident (but there are no accidents, right?) the timed safe where the daily proceeds are to be deposited locks before Hurstwood can store the restaurants $10,000. In that moment, he decides his fate, leaves an I.O.U. for the boss, and heads over to Carrie’s. He tells her he has left his wife and together they set out of New York to begin a new life.

Life starts out on a high note in New York City

Hurstwood leaves his comfortable life, as well as his wife and children, and sets of with the stolen $10,000 to begin a new life with Carrie. Although still married, he marries Carrie and the two have a happy start. 

But, we know crime doesn't pay, and within days there is a knock on Hurstwood's door from a detective looking for the stolen money. Hurstwood gives him the balance and soon finds out that word of his bad deed has spread to New York, making it impossible for him to find work in his chosen field. 

Before too long, Carrie and Hurstwood are living in poverty. Carrie tries to stand by her man, but Hurstwood is finally broken when an agent of his wife appears and demands that he sign over his rights to all property in exchange for a divorce. Carrie, pregnant, is shattered. Once she loses the baby, her passion for Hurstwood goes from cool to cold. His lies offer a good reason to bail on him, but her superior survival skills instinctively lead her and Hurstwood down different paths.

No longer living the good life

While Hurstwood leaves town and tries to see if he can make peace with his children when he reads about his son's upcoming wedding (he can't bring himself to try), Carrie makes her exit. From then on, the trajectory of their story speeds to its inevitable conclusion. Carrie, not surprisingly, finds her true place on the stage where success and fortune beckon. Hurstwood, devastated by her desertion, ends up living on the street.

After an evening's theatrical performance, old friend Drouet comes by to visit Carrie. He tells her that Hurstwood had stolen the money before he left and that he was forced to pay it back. Carrie now sees to what lengths her man went to be with her and she does feel some pangs of guilt. Maybe she can use that feeling in her next performance.

Carrie flaunts her success to old friend Charlie

Meanwhile, out on the street, Hurstwood is begging. Carrie finds him and tries to give him money, as if that could make thing better. He agrees to take only .25, the cost of a bed at the flophouse. We see him turn on the gas and assume that he will at least find some peace. SOB!!!!!
 

No longer the most dapper man in town

 So, that’s the story, but the real treat is the performances. I’m not a big fan of Jennifer Jones here, but her passiveness does neatly disguise an amoral personality who can easily justify her needs, no matter what the effect on those she leaves behind. She disappoints her parents (who do not want her to leave home), her sister (who grieves over her life of sin), Drouet (who got out-sharped, but still was a straight shooter with her) and, of course, Hurstwood, who she could not bear to live with once his life fell apart.

Eddie Albert as Charlie Drouet is pretty delightful. Always cheerful and full of good advice, he deserves a gal who appreciates a good time and a good heart.

Miriam Hopkins, as the miserable Mrs. Hurstwood, does not have much screen time, but Wyler makes sure we despise her. Must have been payback for all those Hopkins/Davis spats he got caught up in.

And, of course, there is Olivier. His passion for Carrie is painful because he is the one who loves more. He knows this is the last chance at romance and he grabs it (and the money). Sadly, his relentless pursuit of Carrie leads to his ruin. She cannot help him, and he cannot not help himself. His shabby descent and his loss of self-respect is painful to watch. Yet, there is the aura of romance about him as he shuffles off to his flop house to die. All for love.

No fool like an old fool

In Dreiser’s story, money is the brass ring and poverty is a slow death. In the survival of the fittest, Carrie, whose  understanding of the law of the jungle is in her DNA, is the winner and Hurstwood the loser. In “Carrie,” Olivier gives us an unforgettable lover, no longer young, but as foolish as any young man who, mistakenly, believes that love conquers all. It is a shattering performance that should be seen. While wife Vivien Leigh was in Hollywood filming "A Streetcar Named Desire," Olivier was in town, too, giving an equally moving and heart-breaking performance. 

This is my entry in the Underseen and Unrerrated Classic Movie Blog Association Blogathon. Click here for more soon to be more memorable films.

National Classic Movie Day: 5 Favorite Movie Stars

May 16, 2017, 2:57 am

≫ Next: Ann Harding: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

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In honor of National Classic Movie Day (May 16th), The Classic Film and TV Cafeis hosting the Five Stars Blogathon. 

Okay, it's really hard to confine this to 5, but here goes (in no particular order): 

James Cagney

Notice how I managed to insert Ms. Sheridan here?

5 reasons why:

He was the first movie star I fell in love with.

He has more charisma than any other star. Ever.

A tough guy who dances? Talk about having it all.

That bad-boy smile

New York to the core

5 favorite Cagney films:

Love Me or Leave Me

Angels With Dirty Faces

City For Conquest

The Strawberry Blonde

Taxi!

Cary Grant

Hello, Handsome

5 reasons why:

That face

That voice

The way he looks in a tux

More charm than any person on earth. Period.

With all of the above he never is afraid to be silly

5 favorite Grant films:

Notorious

People Will Talk

North By Northwest

Charade

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

Ann Dvorak

Ann being hard to resist

5 reasons why:

Her voice

Her eyes

The way she always seemed to be on last raw nerve

She makes me want to know more about her when I am watching her

She always seemed so sophisticated(even in her pre-code lingerie)

5 favorite Dvorak films:

Three on a Match

The Strange Love of Molly Louvain

Heat Lightning

Scarface

A Life of her Own

Charlie Chaplin

Sneaking a little Edna Purviance in with Charlie

5 reasons why:

He is the greatest movie star

The humanity of the Little Tramp

He makes me laugh

He makes me cry

He is eternal

5 favorite Chaplin films:

City Lights

The Kid

Modern Times

The Great Dictator

The Mutual Shorts (yes – cheating here – picking all 12 of them)

Jack Lemmon

The joy of Daphne

5 reasons why:

I am always surprised by how much I like him! In fact, I’m surprised to see him on this list.

He is extraordinarily ordinary in the very best way

He makes me want to be always on his side

As soon as I see him on screen, I feel better

He’s always good, no matter the film, no matter the part

5 favorite Lemmon films:

The Apartment

Mr. Roberts

Some Like it Hot

The Fortune Cookie

Apologies to Ann Sheridan, Edna Purviance, Tony Randall and Buster Keaton who would have been there if they could.

For more star-studded celebrations of Classic Movie Day, visit the Classic Film and TV Cafe and see if any of your favorites made the cut.

Ann Harding: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

June 26, 2017, 5:52 pm

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This year I am attempting to get to know 4 stars whose work I do know well enough. First up: Ann Harding.

Like most people, whether or not I have a negative or positive opinion of a movie star is based 100% on my emotional reaction to that person on the screen. For example, I know Humphrey Bogart is a great star and a fine actor. But, for some reason, I don't like him. I've tried...I really have. And I do respect him, but I just don't like him.

And so it is with Ann Harding.  I've given Ann a whirl in 4 films: Holiday (1930), Prestige (1932), The Animal Kingdom (1932) and When Ladies Meet (1933). If any one word describes Ann Harding, I'd say it is "intelligent." She is unfailingly calm, smooth, and cerebral. She is patrician, elegant and beautiful and you just know this woman had a good education. Yet, when playing a passionate woman, the effect is rather like the shock of discovering that your teachers had a sex life.

Naturally, this is all subjective. In that early pre-code era, her acting is of a very high quality. However, next to Myrna Loy in When Ladies Meet, or Mary Astor in Holiday, she seems a bloodless choice. Even with all of that luxurious hair undone, she projects a Madonna-like quality. She acts touchable, but it feels as though she is just out of reach.

By all accounts, Ann Harding was well liked and well respected. A young movie-newbie Laurence Olivier, who starred with her in 1932's Westward Passage, was forever grateful for her kind assistance as he struggled with the new medium. It's exactly what I would expect from a lady like Ann Harding.

The verdict: a mild Thumbs Down for me.

My next star project: Marion Davies.

Why did Marilyn Monroe make me cry?

August 31, 2017, 5:01 pm

≫ Next: Marion Davies: Thumbs Up Or Thumbs Down? (Part 1)

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Warning: just teeny bit political

I was flipping through some Facebook posts and landed on “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” I watched the entire number because it is one of my all-time favorites; Marilyn at her very best and oh that pink. I was once again admiring the total achievement: the music, the performances, the setting and suddenly I burst into tears. Why? Why would such a delightful, fluffy and joyful musical number send me reaching for the Kleenex?

Jane was pretty wonderful, too

I’ve been asking myself “Why?” about a few things lately. I have a friend who rabidly – and I mean rabidly – supports a current politician who shall remain nameless (it really isn't about him). Since this friend has never been particularly political, I ask myself (quietly and only to myself) what is it about this man that my friend finds so compelling? And in a moment of quiet, clarity about both my friend and my reaction to Marilyn Monroe became a little clearer.

Regarding that friend, he is older and loves to insult people and generally feels superior by mocking others (he's a good guy but has some challenging qualities). And so that politician, for him, is like looking in the mirror. He feels they are the same because he sees a version of himself in the politician (minus the billions of dollars and the gold-plated toilets).

Who does Marilyn see?

let's get back to Marilyn. I don’t see myself in Marilyn, but in that scene her youth and beauty and talent are on full display. It is dazzling, and it represents everything I love about film. Youth and beauty are so fleeting, never properly appreciated until they are gone. My own mirror reveals the passage of time, but never film. The scene is joyous and clever and it makes me so happy. It is perfection and its beauty makes me cry.  

A girl does what a girl must do

Movies have always been the mirror that all of my hopes and dreams and fantasies for the future reflected back to me. I may not be Scarlett, but when she ripped down those drapes and brazened her way into Atlanta, I cheered her. It spoke to a spark of bravery in my heart. And when Shirley MacLaine runs to meet her heel of a lover in “The Apartment,” I saw in her someone I knew, someone who propels herself towards the wrong fork in the road, but hopes it is the right one. More than once. In countless film I see some small speck of the person I am, or was or want to be. As Chaplin moves mountains for the blind girl in "City Lights," I instantly recognize the soul of the romantic.

A true romantic

So, yes, I cried a bit for Marilyn, but mostly for me because I love the movies oh so much that I am overwhelmed and reduced to tears sometimes. When the lights are down and I am truly that person in the dark, I can cry and love and laugh with abandon with a full heart. It’s real and it’s personal.

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Marion Davies: Thumbs Up Or Thumbs Down? (Part 1)

October 2, 2017, 9:55 am

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While getting to know more about the work of Marion Davies, it became clear to me that I had to divide her work into two segments: silent films and sound films. This post deals with Marion's work in silent films.

Let's cut to the chase: a HUGE thumbs up for Marion Davies' silent film body of work.👍

Marion's story is well known: New York stage actress catches the eye of William Randolph Hearst, becomes his life-long companion outside of his marriage, emerges as a big movie star in the silent era with his backing, as well as an important figure in the social scene in Hollywood (and San Simeon, Hearst's castle north of L.A.). Her reputation was enhanced by constant promotions in Hearst papers and forever tarnished by the common assumption that the character of Susan Alexander in Orson Welles'"Citizen Kane" was based upon her (Welles denied it).

Let's allow Marion's work to speak for itself. I viewed 4 of her silent films before writing this post, hoping to get to know this legendary actress a little better.

Show People

"Show People" is one of Marion's best known silent films. I had seen this film before, and had a good opinion of it, but on second viewing I confess I simply fell in love with her. While Hearst liked to see her in romantic, damsel-in-distress roles (that weirdly called for her to impersonate a boy at times), Marion's true talent was in her funny bone. As Peggy Pepper, she is so delightful it almost hurts. I wanted to just reach out and put my arms around her and give her a big hug. Oh, and the endless list of "A" list cameos is mind boggling. 

Marion and co-star William Haines encounter Charlie Chaplin in "Show People." Marion  is not impressed.

The Patsy

"The Patsy" is the other Davies silent film that has remained well-known and popular. And for good reason!

Marion's comedic flair again gets showcased in this Cinderella story of a less-beautiful sister (major acting challenge here) who is the better person. While Marion's character of Patricia Harrington seeks improvement through a number of funny self-help programs in order to appeal to the man of her dreams (who, of course, is engaged to her older, supposedly more beautiful sister), Marion wins our hearts and her man. Major highlights are Marie Dressler as the bullying mother and Marion's dead-on impersonations of silent stars of the day.

The Red Mill

This film was a little more challenging. I can't say I was thrilled with the subject matter (thwarted love in old Holland), but Marion is, as always, adorable and amusing (Karl Dane and Louise Fazenda supply a great deal of the comedy). This film is also interesting because it was directed by Roscoe Arbuckle under the pseudonym of William Goodrich. It is ironic that Arbuckle found work in Hollywood in a Hearst picture after the Hearst newspapers effectively killed his career with yellow journalism. One has to believe that Marion's influence played a part in this. It was also interesting to me to see Owen Moore in a starring role. Known only to me as Mary Pickford's nasty first husband who stood in the way of her union with true love Douglas Fairbanks, I was quite impressed. He was charming and had a nice ease about him - not hard to see why Mary fell for him.

When Knighthood Was in Flower

I saved the best for last, because this film was a total revelation for me. I was lucky to be able to see a newly restored version on the big screen with live accompaniment by the great Ben Model. 

Captivating her audience

Filmed in 1922, "When Knighthood Was in Flower" was a mega production (reportedly costing up to $1,500,000) and represented Heart's full-throttle push to make Marion as beloved by the movie going public as she was by her adoring suitor. Verdict? It worked! Beyond the expensive sets and costumes, Marion's delightful personality and charm and talent shines through. She is everything in this film. Without her, it is just a lot, and I a mean a lot,  of stuff. If you ever want to surrender to the spell of Marion Davies, see this wonderful film. As Mary Tudor, she is downright adorable (I keep using that word, but there is no better one to describe her) while pursuing true love. 

Pre martini and Nora: boos and hisses from the audience for this guy in his 2nd film

In 2017, the audience absolutely ate her up. Murmurs of appreciation of her beauty and talent continued throughout the film. So, in silents, big great big, unequivocal thumbs up for Marion Davies' silent film work. She clearly stands the test of time.

Next up: Marion Davies talks.

True Confessions: Why I Cheated on Cary Grant with Gilbert Roland

October 14, 2017, 11:44 am

≫ Next: BANNED AND BLACKLISTED: STATE CENSORSHIP BOARDS: NOT COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

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This is my entry in the Hollywood's Hispanic Heritage Blogathon, hosted by the delightful Aurora at Once Upon A Screen. Click here for more fantástico entries.

Can you blame me????

It's Your Lucky Day, Aurora!

My devotion to Mr. Grant is pretty well known. In fact, the hostess of this wonderful blogathon has, from time to time, tried to insert herself into our happy romance (I'm watching you, Aurora). Well, my dear, this is your lucky day. Today I am stepping out on Mr. G and he's all yours for 24 hours. (Oh, and by the way, he's cool with this, so enjoy).

I try very hard not to let an artist's personal story influence my ability to appreciate their art. For example, I don't think I'd like to share a confined space with Woody Allen, but I sure do like his films. I might not want Joan Crawford inspecting the cleanliness of my home, but, wow, I pretty much plotz over the lady on screen. And, look, I know there are some things that are just over the line, but let's not go there today. Let's just stay with this train of thought and not go off the tracks.

It took me a little while to zero in on the charms of Gilbert Roland. I think I first became aware of him as an older, but very handsome, actor who appeared in supporting roles. He always seemed to be around and, for some reason, I was very happy to see him whenever and wherever he showed up, both in movies and on TV. And then there was this:

I was pretty gaga over Jane Russell a few years ago (still am), so I checked out "The French Line" and saw a younger version of that handsome Hispanic fellow, Gilbert Roland. He was a hottie! As Jane's french suitor (crooning "Wait Till You See Paris" in a creamy, dreamy baritone), he knocked my socks off, leading to that brain-throb well known to classic films fans as MUST KNOW MORE! (By the way, TCM, YouTube and Google are known antidotes: prior to these, only the Public Library and late night TV provided any relief).

So, I learned all about the handsome Mr. Roland. Born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso in Mexico, he made his way(via Texas) to Hollywood at a time when the Valentino Latin-Lover type was in vogue. Luis became Gilbert Roland (allegedly the name is a combination of stars John Gilbert and Ruth Roland) and quickly worked his way up from extra to leading man. Apparently, his good looks were not lost on the ladies. One of his first big breaks came as Clara Bow's co-star in "The Plastic Age" (1925). He and Clara, both only 20 years old, became engaged, but their youth and Clara's bigoted creep of a father put the kibosh on the romance. He later had a flaming romance with Norma Talmadge (his co-star in "Camille") that set tongues wagging and enraged her husband, mogul Joseph Schenck (apparently Schenck threatened to castrate Roland, who then took to parading around in the buff at his club to demonstrate the empty threat).

Norma Talmadge fell for her Armand in "Camille"

Gilbert Roland survived the talkies and continued acting, mostly in large supporting roles, until 1982. A few of my favorites are  "The Bullfighter and the Lady" (1951), "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) and the crazy "Call Her Savage" (1931) with former flame, Clara Bow. He made a few films in the 1930s with Constance Bennett, who he married in 1941. While still married to Connie and while serving in the military during WWII, he apparently had a very secret affair with Greta Garbo (can you blame her?) This only came to light after Roland's death when a pair of GG's silk panties were found in his possession. Such a sentimental man!

Glamorous couple Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland

Yes, Gilbert Roland was handsome and sexy, but he seemed to be more than that. There is something kind and compassionate about him in every performance, something that makes you feel as though he would be a loyal, caring friend. So, imagine how wonderful to learn that he was exactly that in real life. After divorcing Constance Bennett, he married again and remained married to the same woman for 40 years until his death in 1994. He was known as "Amigo" and that seemed a perfect nickname for him.

Clara Bow and Gilbert Roland at the height of their romance

One of my favorite stories about Gilbert Roland is one about a letter written to Clara Bow many, many years after their affair. Clara, who had suffered with mental illness and much unhappiness, held on to this precious correspondence from a former lover but a forever friend:

Hello, Clarita Girl:

I am truly sad that you don't feel well. Sometimes when I go to church and I think of you, I say a prayer. It will be heard. God hears everything.

You tell me that you long for your boys. I share your feelings. My daughters are with their mother in Wiesbaden, Germany. And there is nothing I can do, except cry a little once in a while.

I hope someday they show "The Plastic Age." It would be wonderful to see that dancing scene, you and I. It would be pleasant seeing how I looked when I was your beau and you were my dream girl. It would be pleasant seeing that. And then it might be very beautiful, and suddenly it might be very sad.

It seems you are in my thoughts.

It's good to feel that way.

It's good I have never forgotten you.

God bless you.

Gilbert 

For more about their brief affair but lasting friendship, click here.

So, for my money, Gilbert Roland was more than just a Latin Lover. He was the real deal - handsome and virile and truly, truly a gentleman and good person.

Aurora, enjoy your day with Cary. I will be back......

BANNED AND BLACKLISTED: STATE CENSORSHIP BOARDS: NOT COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

November 17, 2017, 4:40 pm

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This is my entry in the Banned and Blacklisted Classic Movie Blog Association Blogathon. Click HERE for more forbidden fruit!

 

Lordy!

From the moment moving pictures became the medium of the masses, two mostly opposing factions of society have been at odds: those who wish to moralize vs. those who wish to push the limits of conventional decency. From the moment belly-dancing Fatima shook her stuff in 1886, it became clear that this form of entertainment needed policing!

In 1901 a dress blowing up to expose a woman's legs was enough to make clear that moving picture were not wholesome.

Women's ankles! Smoking! Sex! Something had to be done! Sex wasn't the only offense. People flocked first  to Nickelodeons and later movie theaters to see stories of crime, drunkenness, violence and other abhorrent (and entertaining) behavior that much of the public felt was unfit for children and decent adults. Because the infant film industry seemed unable or unwilling to police itself, state and municipal censorship boards were established to keep the obscene from being seen. New York City's was christened as early as 1906, followed by those in other cites and states around the nation. The State Boards in Kansas, Pennsylvania and New York were particularly powerful. It's amazing anyone in Kansas ever got to see a movie!

Well, okay....

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures (originally the National Censorship Board) was begun in 1909 in response to New York City’s Mayor McClellan’s crack down on motion picture exhibitors. McClellan viewed movies as an encouragement to erode the morals of the city’s masses. The Board, a non-governmental body, was formed to endorse good and wholesome films for the public (and avoid government regulation), giving it a stamp of approval. It also served to act as an alternative to legalized censorship, which already existed in Kansas, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Films were, in fact, censored by this Board. As late as 1950, films still carried the legend “Passed by the National Board of Review.”

In 1915, the Mutual Film Corp. vs. Industrial Commission of Ohio had a far-reaching impact on film censorship.  The Ohio Board of Censors, like other State Boards, charged a fee for the review of a film before it could approved for viewing in the state.  Anyone showing a film not approved by the Board could be arrested. Mutual, a film distribution company, took on the Ohio Board, accusing them of interfering with interstate commerce and, critically, violating the right of free speech. The court ruled in the Ohio Board’s favor, essentially ruling that freedom of speech did not extend to film. State and municipal boards were free to impose any and all regulations deemed acceptable to the locality. What was acceptable in New York (whose own censorship board was instituted in 1921) was not always acceptable in Kansas.

 

Birth of a Nation: Controversial then, controversial now

1915 was also the year of “Birth of a Nation,” still one of the most controversial films ever made.  Heavily protested and banned, the film stirred controversy wherever it played (and didn’t play). Kansas, in particular, waged a fierce battle over this film. Initially banned, the fate of the film volleyed back and forth between those who wished it never to see the light of day and those who advocated its release.

The 1920s brought the scandals of Hollywood into the local movie theaters. Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s films were banned after his 1921 involvement in a wild Labor Day weekend party in San Francisco that resulted in the death of actress Virginia Rappe. Arbuckle, after multiple trials, was eventually exonerated of the murder charge, but his career was finished when state and local censorship boards refused to show his films. Comedienne Mabel Normand, whose reputation was already shaky due to her friendship with murdered director William Desmond Taylor, found her films banned across the country when she and actress Edna Purviance were in involved in another drunken party, one where Mabel’s chauffer shot Edna’s boyfriend.  Purviance, Charlie Chaplin’s leading lady, also suffered, as many localities went so far as to ban early Chaplin shorts that featured poor Edna. It was bad enough that drunken and low down behavior was portrayed on the screen. It was worse when the residents of Hollywood were found to be no better than the movies that portrayed such immoral behavior.

 

Edna and Mabel visit the local precinct after a  drunken sailing party and a shooting

In 1922, in an effort to stem the mounting call for legal oversight on Hollywood, the film industry proposed self-policing and hired former Postmaster General and generally moral Presbyterian Will Hays as the face to Hollywood’s commitment to censor itself. By 1927, the pressure for governmental censorship was growing thanks to films starring the likes of Clara Bow and Valentino, not to mention the films of C.B. De Mille.

 

Clara Bow forgot her clothes in 1927's "Hula."

First, there was this “do’s and don’ts” list of rules:

Resolved, that those things which are included in the following list shall not appear in pictures produced by the members of this Association, irrespective of the manner in which they are treated:

·         Pointed profanity – by either title or lip – this includes the words "God", "Lord", "Jesus", "Christ" (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), "hell", "damn", "Gawd", and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled;

·         Any licentious or suggestive nudity – in fact or in silhouette; and any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture;

·         The illegal traffic in drugs;

·         Any inference of sex perversion;

·         White slavery;

·         Miscegenation (sex relationships between the white and black races);

·         Sex hygiene and venereal diseases;

·         Scenes of actual childbirth – in fact or in silhouette;

·         Children's sex organs;

·         Ridicule of the clergy;

·         Willful offense to any nation, race or creed;

And be it further resolved, that special care be exercised in the manner in which the following subjects are treated, to the end that vulgarity and suggestiveness may be eliminated and that good taste may be emphasized:

·         The use of the flag;

·         International relations (avoiding picturizing in an unfavorable light another country's religion, history, institutions, prominent people, and citizenry);

·         Arson;

·         The use of firearms;

·         Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc. (having in mind the effect which a too-detailed description of these may have upon the moron);

·         Brutality and possible gruesomeness;

·         Technique of committing murder by whatever method;

·         Methods of smuggling;

·         Third-degree methods;

·         Actual hangings or electrocutions as legal punishment for crime;

·         Sympathy for criminals;

·         Attitude toward public characters and institutions;

·         Sedition;

·         Apparent cruelty to children and animals;

·         Branding of people or animals;

·         The sale of women, or of a woman selling her virtue;

·         Rape or attempted rape;

·         First-night scenes;

·         Man and woman in bed together;

·         Deliberate seduction of girls;

·         The institution of marriage;

·         Surgical operations;

·         The use of drugs;

·         Titles or scenes having to do with law enforcement or law-enforcing officers;

·         Excessive or lustful kissing, particularly when one character or the other is a "heavy".

 By 1930, the Industry had adopted the Motion Picture Production Code (“the Code”) and promised films that would not offend.

Lax enforcement and the advent of sound presented another challenge for the sensors.  From 1930 through July 1934 Hollywood sent out a proliferation of what we now call “Pre-Code” films – some still standing up to the definition of racy and morally questionable (not to mention fun).

 

Ann Dvorak takes a break from sex, booze and coke  in 1932's "Three on a Match"

Enter Joe Breen in July 1934 and the fun came to an end. The establishment of the Production Code Administration tightened the noose and sex, booze, and good endings for bad people came to a screeching halt. Breen’s ascent gradually diminished the need for state and local censorship boards, although some hung on until the bitter end.

 

Jane's bosom could not be stopped!

Jane Russell’s bosom in 1943’s “The Outlaw” caused the ruffling of some local censorship board’s feathers, as did the flood of foreign films (starring the likes of Bridgette Bardot) in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1952, the case of Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson overturned that 1915 Mutual Film decision. The battle was over a New York distributor’s right to show a Roberto Rosellini film called “The Miracle.” Limits continued to be pushed. Billy Wilder’s 1959 “Some Like it Hot” was not granted code approval, but the public made it a hit. Otto Preminger went to the wall in 1953 with “The Moon is Blue” when Kansas, Ohio and Maryland banned the film (which was also condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency – who generally didn’t approve of much) due to its subject matter of illicit sex, chastity and virginity. The film was released without the code’s certificate of approval, but when the state boards banned the showing of the film, Preminger fought it in court, first winning in Maryland and then taking the Kansas decision all the way to the Supreme Court and winning.

 

"The Moon is Blue" won the fight for our right to see silly sex

By the end of the 1960s, the code was pretty much abandoned and in 1968 the rating system of G (for general audiences), M (for mature content), R (restricted - no one under 17 allowed) and X (for sexually explicit content) was unveiled. I remember begging my mother to take me to see “Rosemary’s baby” in 1968 because I wasn’t 17. Bless her, she did.

Reginald Denny: What a Character!

December 14, 2017, 5:21 pm

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This is my entry in the What a Character! Blogathon hosted by the enchanting trio of Aurora at Once Upon a Screen, Kellee at Outspoken and Freckled, and Paula at Paula's Cinema Club. Click here to check out more of the characters who make movies great.

Frank Crawley will not get the girl - ever

Who doesn't love "Rebecca"? (all right, maybe not everybody, but let's just go with it). Anyway, here is dashing Laurence Olivier as the mysterious Maxim De Winter - so handsome, so haunted. And there is Her, played by the she's-not-supposed-to-be-pretty-but-really-is Joan Fontaine. Enter Frank Crawley, the manager of Manderley. He's so steady, so boring, so veddy British. We know he'd be better for Her, but he's so boring, so Reginald Denny-ish. Wait a minute - that is Reginald Denny!

As that proper and boring English gentleman other man is how most movie fans know Reginald Denny. He's usually the well-meaning and steady friend, the one who might not make it to the final scene, but always seems to have good intentions. He's usually loyal, too. 

Reginald Denny helps Mr. Blandings build that dream house

In addition to his portrayal of the steady Frank Crawley (who admitted he succumbed to Rebecca's charms with sweaty guilt appropriate for  a regretful bestie), Denny was Bulldog Drummond's best pal Algy Longworth in a series of Bulldog films from 1937 through 1939, Mr. Simms in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948) and The Voice of Terror in "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" (1942). I'll bet you've seen Mr. Denny, that steady Englishman, more times than you can count (or even remember). Maybe it was in prestigious films like "Anna Karenina" (1935 - where he was a steady Russian), or "Of Human Bondage" (1935), or even "My Favorite Brunette" (1947) and "Batman" (1966). His name was rarely at the top of the cast, but never, ever at the bottom. There was a cinematic respect for Mr. Denny that would never, ever, put his name in a not-so-prominent place in the cast. 

You see, Reginald Denny, in the silent days, was a pretty big deal. His was the name at the top of the cast. 

Reginald Denny was quite an interesting character. The son of a famous baritone known for his roles on the English stage, Denny followed in his father's footsteps and began his professional life as a baritone on the stage. After touring in India, he landed in Hollywood in 1915 and began long and successful career in front of the cameras. He also dabbled in successful stage performances, notably appearing on Broadway with John Barrymore in his 1920 production of Richard III.

Dashing airman

Before achieving stardom, Denny served in the First World War as a gunner in the Royal Flying Corps, and later went on to appear as a stunt pilot in the 1920s (in addition to becoming a movie star). When back in Hollywood, he managed to open a popular model airplane shop (General MacArthur was a customer) and, with a partner, was a pioneer in drone technology (Jeff Bezos says "thanks"). This guy was talented!

Getting cute with Laura La Plante

But, back to the movies. He was the star of the very popular "Leather Pushers" series (did I mention Denny was also the amateur boxing champ of Great Britain?) as well as star of some A-list Universal comedies such as "Skinner's Dress Suit" (1926), "Oh Doctor" (1925) and "Out All Night" (1927). See, before the world heard the clipped and proper British accent of Mr. Denny, he was known to his audience as a light comedian, an all American kind of go-getter - a blue collar Douglas Fairbanks, if you will. Once talkies revealed his origins, his fate was sealed. He was British - dependable, reliable, getting older and distinguished. Not Clark Gable. As the years went on, his name fell from the top of A-list films, topping some B-list films and them firmly settling into the role of prestigious British supporting actor. 

Like so many character actors, Reginald Denny was a real pro. His career lasted until the 1960s (that Batman film was his swan song) and included some memorable stage roles (notable as Colonel Pickering in "My Fair Lady"). He died in 1967, hopefully satisfied that he had lead a jam-packed, satisfying and distinguished life. 

Google: The Buzz Kill for the Thrill of Discovery

February 1, 2018, 8:59 am

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If you are not old enough to remember life without Google, this post will most likely seem like ancient history. But, if you like playing games that take you through mazes and dead ends before reaching your treasure, read on.

My first crazy passion for classic film started with New York’s WNEW Channel 5 showing “The Public Enemy” on a Saturday afternoon. I was probably 12 or 13 and I was alone in the house. I was completely taken by this James Cagney guy and, like any good budding film nut, I became instantly obsessed. But how, how, to know more? How to feed this obsession when my friends were drooling over the Beatles and the Four Seasons?

Yep - this was the guy....

Back then there were only 2 sources of information: the local library and the local bookstore. So, I trotted off to the card catalogue, wending my way through the Dewey Decimal system, finding my way to a section of the library that contained books about film. Eureka! A treasure trove! Books by critics, books about stars, books filled with lush black and white photos. And there, little by little, I learned about Mr. Cagney and, by extension, Joan Blondell, Jean Harlow, Ann Sheridan, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and all of the other Warner Brothers usual suspects. Oh, the places this exercise took me! The hours spent alone with armloads of books at my disposal – what bliss! And now that I was armed with a little knowledge, I could scour the reduced price book section at the local bookstore (the local independently ownedbookstore, I might add). I still have my treasured first purchase of “The Stars” by Richard Schickel.

This is the photo of Jean Harlow that prompted by Aunt Lois to state that  Jean (she called her by her first name) never wore anything under her clothes.

Hunting for information at the library became a favorite pastime. Finding information was a thrill. Following a trail of indexes and references to the bingo spot was fun and satisfying. It also helped me develop a real nose for research. I prided myself in pointing myself in the right direction. And sometimes it was fun to go off track in the wrong direction. Once it took me to the Ziegfeld Follies. Oh those beautiful ladies!

Side trips can take you to interesting places

So, fast forward to the world of Google. In recent years I’ve wanted to know more about such stars as Kay Francis, Richard Barthelmess, Miriam Cooper and Marion Davies. Oh, so easy to just type their names and read a bio, see tons of beautiful photos and even see film on YouTube. But somehow, it was more fun having the thrill of discovery wash over me at the Hicksville Public Library and seeing that “The Strange Love of Molly Louvain” was playing at a local college. Hey – what’s the story with that Ann Dvorak?? Must know more…… 

Say, that Ann Dvorak is really something