Five More Film Classics Coming to a Theater Near You

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoaD9OSsok1KNLbPg1defwOhAUDMMR4Z2NBOSFBqNnJrPfJ2HtgYKKhq2D3VlKna2VVTI4trwMNbACMUfTndUIoDhTTBhsON0JcKf8auYZylOuD-5unlBWIokN-8VW5R1E9ZsZVx4ZGQ/s1600/Birds+1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoaD9OSsok1KNLbPg1defwOhAUDMMR4Z2NBOSFBqNnJrPfJ2HtgYKKhq2D3VlKna2VVTI4trwMNbACMUfTndUIoDhTTBhsON0JcKf8auYZylOuD-5unlBWIokN-8VW5R1E9ZsZVx4ZGQ/s1600/Birds+1b.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events are about to begin a film series in celebration of Universal's 100th anniversary with special movie theater presentations of four newly restored Universal classics. </span></span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV7hGxAmX2LMsUCKLiDXN0Q1dcxzhJGhepPIJPNnJFza-AimSagJyZNFXnaAMmid-vfbgCJiGi8jHuT1-KeKcX0CKTxR2S2dluM1TMMkw8IaTJX4gPMvSVB1Ir3iyfu5wrago2CpXwTI/s1600/birds-is-coming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV7hGxAmX2LMsUCKLiDXN0Q1dcxzhJGhepPIJPNnJFza-AimSagJyZNFXnaAMmid-vfbgCJiGi8jHuT1-KeKcX0CKTxR2S2dluM1TMMkw8IaTJX4gPMvSVB1Ir3iyfu5wrago2CpXwTI/s320/birds-is-coming.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On Wednesday, September 19, "<i>The Birds</i> is coming" - again - and Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller will screen in select theaters around the country at 7pm local time. Oscar-nominated for special effects, the film is arguably Hitchcock's last great classic. TCM's Robert Osborne will provide an introduction and present an interview with the film's leading lady, Tippi Hedren, who shares her memories of working with Hitchcock and filming <i>The Birds </i>(1963). Archival TCM footage of Hedren's co-stars Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette are also included.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAky6s-KFhTMnfwJ3bF1tCq7hCXd8Mjs47wyPgtmwrctTYF3zoL2tUvqYdDOq11XfS3f5Uv4UV-_uC6HOCNfku9_2bdnCuF4DTSkNYHo0aK0h32giXruE6mHF9f7oTHPrAPRzARq3Gnb8/s1600/Frank+and+Bride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAky6s-KFhTMnfwJ3bF1tCq7hCXd8Mjs47wyPgtmwrctTYF3zoL2tUvqYdDOq11XfS3f5Uv4UV-_uC6HOCNfku9_2bdnCuF4DTSkNYHo0aK0h32giXruE6mHF9f7oTHPrAPRzARq3Gnb8/s400/Frank+and+Bride.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Next up, in a spectacular lead-in to Halloween, is a double feature on Wednesday, October 24, of two James Whale horror classics, <i>Frankenstein </i>(1931) and <i>The Bride of Frankenstein </i>(1935). Again, TCM's Robert Osborne will introduce the films and will also present interviews from the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival with Boris Karloff's daughter, Sara, Bela Lugosi's son, Bela, Jr., and Oscar-winning make-up artist Rick Baker. Show time is 7pm local time.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6VrMltJYgKgocJ6C_os7kJCVL_FApM9KoS8l3RFOP9y8nI_r9IDVgDI7gSP4_XLp8hMnzLlgHHYFFZlrgSpfjmjBRHcLD-mCgPEf6i747m_tSTVu_-DBx4voQpuyqGDpaCG3HVdXT4c/s1600/mockingbird+poster+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6VrMltJYgKgocJ6C_os7kJCVL_FApM9KoS8l3RFOP9y8nI_r9IDVgDI7gSP4_XLp8hMnzLlgHHYFFZlrgSpfjmjBRHcLD-mCgPEf6i747m_tSTVu_-DBx4voQpuyqGDpaCG3HVdXT4c/s400/mockingbird+poster+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span id="goog_1187793909"></span><span id="goog_1187793910"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On Thursday, November 15, TCM, Fathom and Universal will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the heartwarming and thought-provoking <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>(1962), a powerful drama nominated for eight Academy Awards and winner of three. Directed by Robert Mulligan and based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, the film stars Gregory Peck in an iconic Oscar-winning performance and features future Oscar-winner Robert Duvall in his first credited screen role. Included in the presentation is an introduction by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz who will share archival interviews with many who took part in the production. Screening of <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>begins at 7pm local time.</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FROgIia2cb8" width="560"></iframe><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In addition</span>,<b> </b>Fathom Events is partnering with Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring <i>Lawrence of Arabia 50th Anniversary Event: Digitally Restored</i> to the big screen on Thursday, October 4. Nominated for ten Academy Awards and winner of seven including Best Picture, the film was directed by David Lean and stars Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif. Special features include introduction of the film by the Oscar-nominated Sharif, newsreel footage of the film's original New York premiere and a discussion of the film by Oscar-winning director and film restoration champion, Martin Scorsese. Show time is 7pm local time.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqeGxxuVvTAPVPGNGXLyepJT6Zhyfb3Ml5vBCDwwTXXukrgDEq2-x0QDXXMXeel4byLXBwMv7OvAWmNXnrPLNwF5jwBLfObOe2E1NslNy2KbsBNKvq141HIpKA027mwZ3hRaI3INWVY/s1600/lawrence+of+arabia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqeGxxuVvTAPVPGNGXLyepJT6Zhyfb3Ml5vBCDwwTXXukrgDEq2-x0QDXXMXeel4byLXBwMv7OvAWmNXnrPLNwF5jwBLfObOe2E1NslNy2KbsBNKvq141HIpKA027mwZ3hRaI3INWVY/s400/lawrence+of+arabia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in <i>Lawrence of Arabia </i>(1962)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tickets for all four events are on sale now.<span style="color: red;"> <b><a href="http://www.fathomevents.com/" target="_blank">Click here</a></b></span> for more information on each special screening and links to state-by-state listings of participating theaters.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And now, a word on <i>The Birds</i> from Alfred Hitchcock... </span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MZjaVdJt59U" width="420"></iframe></div>

Alfred Hitchcock Frankenstein James Whale Lawrence of Arabia TCM The Birds The Bride of Frankenstein The Lady Eve (author) To Kill a Mockingbird Five More Film Classics Coming to a Theater Near You

Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events are about to begin a film series in celebration of Universal's 100th anniversary with special mo...

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Remembering Tyrone Power

<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXweJjlXonNW2cECl-HluuZ1cWhcWDlRu8f3boo41LW-mwSkr514Qt6h7tTAY5bQlALuu23iEMJi8EHNBOShDTUfNBmIyQpd-kxOgunrxn7twg2ElwKQX_c5anMnE2R9twKragVGxoDb0/s1600/tyrone-power-by-le-art-works+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXweJjlXonNW2cECl-HluuZ1cWhcWDlRu8f3boo41LW-mwSkr514Qt6h7tTAY5bQlALuu23iEMJi8EHNBOShDTUfNBmIyQpd-kxOgunrxn7twg2ElwKQX_c5anMnE2R9twKragVGxoDb0/s400/tyrone-power-by-le-art-works+2.jpg" width="333" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">“There he was, dark-looking with black hair and eyebrows, and no man had a right to be that handsome.” So aviator Bob Buck remembered first meeting Tyrone Power. Buck, enlisted by his boss Howard Hughes, the owner of TWA, to pilot Power on a tour of South America, Africa and Europe, would spend three months with the actor and a small retinue on a trip that was set to begin in September 1947. The group would travel in Power’s plane, <i>The Geek</i>, named after a character in his latest film, <i>Nightmare Alley</i>.  At the time, at age 33, Tyrone Power was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, an adored “matinee idol,” but his straightforward, unassuming manner instantly disarmed the skeptical Buck.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1rbMbKxsFoBHTx0efNQ_2WL10CCkOIgVbFXQUm1sDoheqRDpDI6Qeh9WerUhx8DBBkcqRWRVFawhhprfL09FEBw6eurvC_56KFHI5xR13_ZxfU9ppDyKBjOSqcKwA5_7qgLotZA9Y4U/s1600/Tyrone+Power+father+and+son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1rbMbKxsFoBHTx0efNQ_2WL10CCkOIgVbFXQUm1sDoheqRDpDI6Qeh9WerUhx8DBBkcqRWRVFawhhprfL09FEBw6eurvC_56KFHI5xR13_ZxfU9ppDyKBjOSqcKwA5_7qgLotZA9Y4U/s200/Tyrone+Power+father+and+son.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power, father and son</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">Born in Cincinnati in 1914, Tyrone Power descended from a long line of performing artists. His father, born Frederick Tyrone Power in England and billed as Tyrone Power, was a Shakespearean actor and <i>his</i>father was concert pianist Harold Power, son of celebrated Irish actor Tyrone Power. Tyrone Edmund Power was born May 5, 1914 to his 45-year-old father and his second wife, Emma (known as Patia Power). Young Tyrone and his sister, Anne, were the esteemed actor’s only children. Power, Sr., and <span style="font-size: small;">Patia</span>, who had shared the stage with him from time to time, divorced in 1920. The actor soon remarried and continued his stage and movie career while his ex-wife cared for the children and worked as a voice and drama coach.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was at age 17 when he was just out of high school that the younger Tyrone Power was able to spend some months with his father. Encouraged by his parents, he had begun acting early in life and that summer of 1931 his father took him to Chicago where he was appearing in a production of <i>The Merchant of Venice</i>. Young Tyrone was given a small part in the play. The two later returned to Hollywood where the elder Power began work on a film. Several weeks into production he suffered a massive heart attack at the Hollywood Athletic Club and there he died in the arms of his son.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_4Csuj9X0TO0hKio7tE5h1wcCtYK04w7Y1QeFWfgpcc9NH2uKO1eRkqp0ue3DljtehJ00FoxOZieG00K6-0AP3d2Nug24IdoFt5akmd9H8B-RRCnbGTFZHmX4dcV1NfwbntlhVDd8SA/s1600/st+joan+on+stage+in+youth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_4Csuj9X0TO0hKio7tE5h1wcCtYK04w7Y1QeFWfgpcc9NH2uKO1eRkqp0ue3DljtehJ00FoxOZieG00K6-0AP3d2Nug24IdoFt5akmd9H8B-RRCnbGTFZHmX4dcV1NfwbntlhVDd8SA/s320/st+joan+on+stage+in+youth.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power on stage in <i>St. Joan</i>, 1936</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">By 1935, Tyrone Power, Jr., as he was then known, had made his way to Broadway and been taken under the wing of stage icon Katharine Cornell. He had a small role in <i>Flowers in the Forest</i> (1935), a play the actress produced, and <i>Romeo and Juliet </i>(1935 – 1936), in which Cornell and Maurice Evans starred. When he appeared in a supporting role in <i>St. Joan</i> (1936), starring Cornell, Power was approached by talent scouts from 20^th Century Fox and offered a screen test; Katharine Cornell told the young actor he was ready for Hollywood. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She was right. Power’s brief appearance in his first film for Fox, <i>Girls' Dormitory </i>(1936) prompted a deluge of fan letters. Legend has it that powerful Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper stayed to watch a second showing of the film just to check the credits for the name of the handsome young actor she’d spied in a brief role toward the end of the film.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was with his third outing for Fox in 1936 that Tyrone Power became a star. Child actor Freddie Bartholomew, who played protagonist Jonathan Blake as a youth, was top-billed in <i>Lloyd's of London</i>. Fourth-billed Tyrone Power, who had far more screen time than anyone in the film, portrayed Blake as an adult. Only 22 at the time, but handsome, charismatic and self-possessed, Pow<span style="font-size: small;">er</span> walked away with the film. He would share top billing on his next assignment, <i>In Old Chicago</i> (1937), with Alice Faye and Don Ameche. Following the film’s great popular success, Fox would re-team him with Faye and Ameche in <i>Alexander’s Ragtime Band </i>(1938). Later in 1938, on loan to MGM, he appeared opposite Norma Shearer in the costume melodrama <i>Marie Antoinette</i>. Tyrone Power was now a firmly established leading man.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmep3whm1fqqlKGQBgXghjpyE_2u5f_tF1uZd1Xh0XFoOMLBq0nP4QbBLLYJdTGFDiPjSWbBUbB4IQFz3Un5MW1ujAv1OB12KPR34sJtXR_cOVYMMF8yIWkfKwE93zKeQMfj3PLbthaY/s1600/marie+antoinette+on+the+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmep3whm1fqqlKGQBgXghjpyE_2u5f_tF1uZd1Xh0XFoOMLBq0nP4QbBLLYJdTGFDiPjSWbBUbB4IQFz3Un5MW1ujAv1OB12KPR34sJtXR_cOVYMMF8yIWkfKwE93zKeQMfj3PLbthaY/s400/marie+antoinette+on+the+set.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power on the set of <i>Marie Antoinette </i>(1938) with Norma Shearer</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1939 would prove to be a watershed year for the 25 year old actor. He would portray the outlaw <i>Jesse James</i>in one of only two Technicolor pictures Fox produced that year, and he would star in the studio’s spectacular <i>The Rains Came</i>. Nominated for six Academy Awards, it would win, in that year of the <i>Gone with the Wind</i> sweep, only one, for Best Effects, Special Effects. Power’s leading lady Myrna Loy remembered him as one of the nicest human beings she’d ever known. She would recall much later, “I’m sorry to report that we weren’t lovers, but close to it. I loved him, but he was married to that damn Frenchwoman.” That Frenchwoman was Annabella, the actress Power met a year earlier on <i>Suez </i>(1938) and married in 1939. Also in 1939, in an annual nationwide newspaper poll, Tyrone Power was voted “King of Hollywood.” </span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOJaZ967e9p4hgWrLy19cmMUZmzi_LrZ1vbiFbL1P8VArqwjYnVTzeZUr7-lEVchcDp_xghFNu0BOlpySBt1onsiuk8NM_P2bPaxUdQkfd84VLcJCuFLZGQvSzGz29DEh1govRGmu4y8/s1600/1939+King+of+Hollywood+with+J+MacDonald+Queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOJaZ967e9p4hgWrLy19cmMUZmzi_LrZ1vbiFbL1P8VArqwjYnVTzeZUr7-lEVchcDp_xghFNu0BOlpySBt1onsiuk8NM_P2bPaxUdQkfd84VLcJCuFLZGQvSzGz29DEh1govRGmu4y8/s320/1939+King+of+Hollywood+with+J+MacDonald+Queen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power, 1939's "King of Hollywood," with Ed Sullivan and "Queen" Jeanette MacDonald</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Power next appeared as what has to have been one of the most attractive criminals in Hollywood history in <i>Johnny Apollo </i>(1940) opposite Dorothy Lamour. His first swashbuckler would follow, <i>The Mark of Zorro </i>(1940). Among his best known films, it features one of his most memorable performances. Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone had reputations as two of the best fencers in film and they would dramatically cross swords in <i>The Mark of Zorro</i>:</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tQlcSzNsTPg" width="420"></iframe> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dec. 2012 update: sadly, this <span style="font-size: x-small;">(c<span style="font-size: x-small;">olorized)</span> YouTube clip was recently blocked</span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Before joining the U.S. Marines and departing for World War II, Power would star in one of his favorites, the vivid Technicolor <i>Blood and Sand </i>(1941). Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, it is the story of a brilliant bullfighter undone by temptation and jealousy. Power was apparently entranced by co-star Rita Hayworth, one of his two leading ladies (the other was Linda Darnell), and his stand-in reportedly noticed that the actor could not take his eyes from her throughout filming.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzbQco9Akv9TdQSGrf1xExN0HwEtfMeKOLrA0GiSKbd9FGZFFO6XTQlgQrTTZn5aladvdnWvBuPGHiZnwnKIaD8kP-FMkiWY86ou-Q-4hf3GT8pa2mdpLDTkjEkz-yFz0xDuVvgMFtZI/s1600/Blood+and+Sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzbQco9Akv9TdQSGrf1xExN0HwEtfMeKOLrA0GiSKbd9FGZFFO6XTQlgQrTTZn5aladvdnWvBuPGHiZnwnKIaD8kP-FMkiWY86ou-Q-4hf3GT8pa2mdpLDTkjEkz-yFz0xDuVvgMFtZI/s320/Blood+and+Sand.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power in <i>Blood and Sand </i>(1941)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also prior to entering the service, Power completed<i>A Yank in the R.A.F. </i>(1941), a war-time romance that paired him with Fox’s other superstar, Betty Grable. He also <span style="font-size: small;">appeared in</span> <i>The Black Swan </i>(1942), a Technicolor swashbuckler in which Maureen O’Hara, as an aristocratic young beauty, plays hard-to-get with Power’s character, a dashing reformed pirate. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVtLCIpQkuWHCUYKPR6S2irPE_YXJjSXAwpg0dXhOXXjuTjCXm85akUOJLkYUWbMGtpkydSpOFKt8g01f-Ck_H9FGo2kxntJtr6FYMqbIgJOCZeYm7rBehtG6vU8F0cGIlBGqLSSYCvw/s1600/tp+usmc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVtLCIpQkuWHCUYKPR6S2irPE_YXJjSXAwpg0dXhOXXjuTjCXm85akUOJLkYUWbMGtpkydSpOFKt8g01f-Ck_H9FGo2kxntJtr6FYMqbIgJOCZeYm7rBehtG6vU8F0cGIlBGqLSSYCvw/s320/tp+usmc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power, U.S. Marine Corps</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">Tyrone Power was about to turn 28 when he joined the USMC. He had developed an interest in flying through director Henry King and flew in the Pacific during the war, carrying supplies into Iwo Jima and flying the injured out, often under heavy enemy fire. When he returned to Hollywood just a few years later, he seemed to have aged. Though still very handsome, he appeared weary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Power returned to the screen in the Edmund Goulding-directed production of Somerset Maugham’s <i>The Razor’s Edge</i> in 1946. Myrna Loy later remarked on the spiritual quality she saw in Power’s eyes. As Larry Darrell, a war veteran on a quest for enlighten<span style="font-size: small;">ment and meaning</span> in <i>The Razor’s Edge</i>, she believed he was perfectly cast, “That was Ty,” she said. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpDyhZkJC2Mk4k1NhhiKUEcfZl3OQg9ERzRYd6wYN8TuGF2XSM44jVW3VQUw290BVaLo-Y6omTvrva0AA2ty3Iu9E0W_qgcIgEXFQjgSkjghGooqbwNi8mBtO_eTfNoNsrefHoaxsOA0/s1600/Nightmare+Alley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpDyhZkJC2Mk4k1NhhiKUEcfZl3OQg9ERzRYd6wYN8TuGF2XSM44jVW3VQUw290BVaLo-Y6omTvrva0AA2ty3Iu9E0W_qgcIgEXFQjgSkjghGooqbwNi8mBtO_eTfNoNsrefHoaxsOA0/s320/Nightmare+Alley.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nightmare Alley </i>(1947)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Nightmare Alley </i>(1947) was a film Power battled with Fox chief Darryl Zanuck to make. Zanuck, protective of Power as a valuable studio asset, feared that casting him as a dark character in a downbeat film would damage his box office appeal. But Power was frustrated with the endless string of heroes he invariably played and longed to break type. As sleazy carnival huckster Stan Carlisle, Power is fascinating - and convincing<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> But Zanuck had no confidence in the film and it was given little promotion. Though it quickly faded from view it developed a solid reputation and following over the years. <i>Captain from Castile </i>(1947), Power’s first post-war swashbuckler, would not be his last. At the time the picture was filming in Mexico, he was in the midst of a high-profile romance with Lana Turner. She flew south of the border to be with him on Christmas 1946 and would remember their New Year’s Eve together as the happiest night of her life. Her daughter Cheryl Crane recalled that one of her own earliest memories was of sitting on Power’s lap in the family den. “I was only about three years old, but I remember his face.” Lana would forever refer to Power as the love of her life and recall, “No man except possibly Tyrone Power took the time to find out that I was a human being, not just a pretty, shapely little thing.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Tp3b051HUwzEq1dBFZV0cbqF5ZcAEReT131dbviwziAhIhj3yylvwChHweYfRqnJVH01Cejs5gV76WjEtilex_yqHxJuZfm5aOsCS1nPfU-F2nDfiFvwwydLXhSiR_94wB1ec55R_PE/s1600/Lana+and+Ty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Tp3b051HUwzEq1dBFZV0cbqF5ZcAEReT131dbviwziAhIhj3yylvwChHweYfRqnJVH01Cejs5gV76WjEtilex_yqHxJuZfm5aOsCS1nPfU-F2nDfiFvwwydLXhSiR_94wB1ec55R_PE/s320/Lana+and+Ty.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1946: Lana Turner and Tyrone Power in Mexico</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">It was while involved with Lana and following the completion of his first three post-war films that Power readied for his trip across the Atlantic with pilot Bob Buck and crew. As the group prepared to depart on September 1, 1947, Turner took Buck aside and told him, “I love that guy, be sure you bring him back to me.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">Though Buck was originally drafted to pilot <i>The Geek</i>, Power confided early on that he would like to do most of the flying himself. Buck quickly learned that the actor “flew like an old pro” and relaxed into backing him up as co-pilot. Wherever <i>The Geek </i>landed, they were mobbed and sometimes pursued. Even landing in a jungle in Liberia and greeted by only two natives, one of the two pointed to Tyrone Power and said, “I know him.” When they arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, Power’s group was welcomed by a crowd so large and enthusiastic that their driver commented, “they didn’t do this for the king and queen.” According to Buck, Power believed that people weren’t reacting to him but to the characters he played and their own romantic fantasies. Buck felt this perspective “kept his head size normal.”<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Buck formed a life-long friendship with Power and saw in him an all-American guy and natural athlete who could also talk religion, philosophy, art and literature. He had a photographic memory – which Buck witnessed first-hand when he watched the actor scan a script and then discuss it in great detail. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once <i>The Geek</i> made its way to Europe, the group spent some time in Rome. It was there that Power encountered Linda Christian, a young starlet he would marry the following year. They would have two daughters before divorcing in the mid-‘50s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09KfzQcfkv6FLCtyriH_odROKe9WdQ76Fhi4Tbr_Lrdxhd1fyvh67JFTJ2bTQXj9AxS-EVW0IVIOBzwn3Zu8HYWh3u2CdLJufDtbSDahrHLxIed0otwomBrrAFhKZrfxDPtAo_Zx1mtA/s1600/dark+is+light+enough+1955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09KfzQcfkv6FLCtyriH_odROKe9WdQ76Fhi4Tbr_Lrdxhd1fyvh67JFTJ2bTQXj9AxS-EVW0IVIOBzwn3Zu8HYWh3u2CdLJufDtbSDahrHLxIed0otwomBrrAFhKZrfxDPtAo_Zx1mtA/s320/dark+is+light+enough+1955.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Dark is Light Enough</i> on Broadway, 1955</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Back in Hollywood, Power’s career would continue with a mix of swashbucklers, adventures, light fare and big budget A-films.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1951 Power went on the London stage for a six month engagement of a Joshua Logan-directed production of <i>Mr. Roberts</i>. It was a sold-out run and <i>Variety </i>characterized his performance in the title role as a “warm, colorful and meaningful interpretation.” He toured the U.S. very successfully in <i>John Brown’s Body</i> and took it to Broadway in 1953 with Raymond Massey and Judith Anderson. He returned to Broadway in 1955 with <i>The Dark is Light Enough</i>, starring with Katharine Cornell (a young Christopher Plummer would win a Theatre World Award for his supporting performance in the play). Power’s final Broadway appearance came in <i>Back to Methuselah </i>in 1958 with Faye Emerson.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His last finished film would be Billy Wilder’s <i>Witness for the Prosecution</i> (1957) with Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich. In it, Power,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>cast against type as an accused killer, delivers one of his most acclaimed performances. Billy Wilder reported that co-star Marlene Dietrich developed an enormous crush on Power during filming and remarked, “Everybody had a crush on Ty…it was impossible to be impervious to that kind of charm.”</span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7HZEoayTYkpTBXHBdSKU-Y49nyDar4Mr-FramzdInVCPdg7N4TQ98Ab78mM3w0lEWNpfC_P88cbZrDgPPiZ8F1dVte5YyIK25kNBIa57Cv-VPTqyVSTrw7KOcfbmgwZUa0VrQITHOIM/s1600/witness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7HZEoayTYkpTBXHBdSKU-Y49nyDar4Mr-FramzdInVCPdg7N4TQ98Ab78mM3w0lEWNpfC_P88cbZrDgPPiZ8F1dVte5YyIK25kNBIa57Cv-VPTqyVSTrw7KOcfbmgwZUa0VrQITHOIM/s320/witness.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, <i>Witness for the Prosecution </i>(1957)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1958, 44-year-old Tyrone Power married 26-year-old Debbie Minardos. They traveled to Spain in September where he was to film the King Vidor epic <i>Solomon and Sheba. </i>On November 15, Power collapsed on the set during an arduous swordfight scene with George Sanders and suffered a massive heart attack; he died on the way to the hospital. It had been ice-cold on the set that day and <span style="font-size: small;">he was a heavy smoker.</span> Power’s wife gave birth to their son, Tyrone Power IV, in January 1959. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“His voice was beautiful to listen to, deep, clear and strong,” Bob Buck wrote; his dark, long-lashed eyes radiated warmth and a soulful quality. He performed with sensitivity and conviction and he brought to the screen a certain nobility and tempered reserve. He was Fox’s top leading man for more than 15 years and though his late career had its ups and downs, his last films were some of his greatest successes. He has been called “illegally handsome” and perhaps his looks, coupled with a powerful onscreen <span style="font-size: small;">charisma, </span>blinded both studio and audience to his <span style="font-size: small;">actual talent and </span>capacity to be something more than a leading man.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today, August 25, Turner Classic Movies honors Tyrone Power with a full 24 hours of his films as part of its annual <i>Summer Under the Stars </i>celebration in August. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/p/tyrone-power-on-tcm-summer-under-stars.html" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the schedule of films. </span> <a href="http://scribehardonfilm.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/2012-tcm-suts-blogathon-day-25-tyrone-power/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more on Michael and Jill’s <i>Summer Under the Stars </i>blogathon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nBRm_lySskPivZT6Ppo09JBTYurHAkwmg7I9oxj3k5Idw5OicWSFfS9BfQBNv5yZ_vbsNN2Rmk7PHdYwPoG6hykP7pL6ojGkpPJbUmPH0AuLJ_MEDEJhcNCLTlrLMQX9IrJqHcBCcSo/s1600/TP+by+Trevor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nBRm_lySskPivZT6Ppo09JBTYurHAkwmg7I9oxj3k5Idw5OicWSFfS9BfQBNv5yZ_vbsNN2Rmk7PHdYwPoG6hykP7pL6ojGkpPJbUmPH0AuLJ_MEDEJhcNCLTlrLMQX9IrJqHcBCcSo/s400/TP+by+Trevor.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Tyrone Power by Claire Trevor, 1958</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Notes</u>:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>North Star Over My Shoulder: A Flying Life</i> by Bob Buck, Simon & Schuster (2002)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Being and Becoming</i>by Myrna Loy and James Kotsilibas-Davis, Alfred A. Knopf (1987)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder</i> by Ed Sikov, Hyperion (1998)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Lana: the Memories, the Myths, the Movies</i> by Cheryl Crane, Running Press (2008)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Website: <a href="http://www.tyrone-power.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">www.tyrone-power.com</a></span></div>

Summer Under the Stars TCM The Lady Eve (author) Tyrone Power Remembering Tyrone Power

“There he was, dark-looking with black hair and eyebrows, and no man had a right to be that handsome.” So aviator Bob Buck remembered first ...

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Ticket(s) Giveaway: "Singin' in the Rain" on the Big Screen

<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9pkmeFR1-XZyfl3Q1tZ_5F1i8W8Wk5I1JCDTpk2lylw109vXFA2dxU9dkJbSyQxi61e-RXs3EV60CFgwLxNABXsdw23Iv9IKykcqcwmA_HbCTL5CQnHGW7qM1F9KZPlhOY_MN2nZ0ys1/s1600/singin'_in_the_rain_1952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9pkmeFR1-XZyfl3Q1tZ_5F1i8W8Wk5I1JCDTpk2lylw109vXFA2dxU9dkJbSyQxi61e-RXs3EV60CFgwLxNABXsdw23Iv9IKykcqcwmA_HbCTL5CQnHGW7qM1F9KZPlhOY_MN2nZ0ys1/s400/singin'_in_the_rain_1952.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Singin' in the Rain </i>returns to theaters nationwide on Wednesday, August 22, for an encore presentation of a stunning new print of the film.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll be giving away <i>three pairs of tickets</i> for the event. <a href="http://www.fathomevents.com/upcoming/alllocations.aspx?eventid=1107" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a listing of all participating theaters.  Please send your entry, including your <b>name</b>,  <b>mailing address</b> and <b><i>theater selection</i></b> (I need <i>all three</i>), to: <a href="mailto:ladyevesidwich@gmail.com"><span style="color: #cc0000;">l</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">adyevesidwich@gmail.com</span></a>. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A random drawing will be held on August 13 and winners will be contacted immediately. Tickets will be sent directly from the the event coordinator.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Update: Congratulations to winners Lindsay, Barry and Dawn - and thanks to Melanie of Pure Brand Communications for providing tickets for this drawing.</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This event, a celebration of the film's 60th anniversary, is sponsored by Turner Classic Movies, NCM Fathom Events and Warner Home Video. Along with the film, a special TCM original production hosted by Robert Osborne will screen. This featurette includes </span><span style="font-size: small;">behind-the-scenes footage and an interview with Debbie Reynolds, who starred in the film with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't miss your chance to see Stanley Donen's iconic musical, the film that ranks #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the “<a href="http://www.afi.com/100years/musicals.aspx" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">25 Greatest Movie Musicals</a>,” on the big screen. Enter now!</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/08/09/158489285/60-years-later-still-singin-in-the-rain" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for Pulitzer Prize winning critic Lloyd Schwartz's August 9 review of <i>Singin' in the Rain </i>on NPR's <i>Fresh Air</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ec2beAQ3W6U" width="560"></iframe>  </div>

Debbie Reynolds Donald O'Connor Gene Kelly Singin' in the Rain TCM The Lady Eve (author) Turner Classic Movies Ticket(s) Giveaway: "Singin' in the Rain" on the Big Screen

Singin' in the Rain returns to theaters nationwide on Wednesday, August 22, for an encore presentation of a stunning new print of the fi...

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Marilyn Monroe: Out of a Dream

<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl9XriX9DxisG86jxNHfm4FcHJAjvFQB429C_vHDUJxxdKYRtVemOGiHsyfm-eXttfwFATFsGu5ysRonKy4vh7PCY2VmIfhlLSAiDfqZCAnpDBhjy2kBPbV35eY4Fnr8d-JA6SlYTzTXr/s1600/MM+by+Cardiff+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl9XriX9DxisG86jxNHfm4FcHJAjvFQB429C_vHDUJxxdKYRtVemOGiHsyfm-eXttfwFATFsGu5ysRonKy4vh7PCY2VmIfhlLSAiDfqZCAnpDBhjy2kBPbV35eY4Fnr8d-JA6SlYTzTXr/s400/MM+by+Cardiff+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Jack Cardiff</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One chilly winter morning in 1953, a 15-year-old boy took a bus from his home in New Jersey to New York City in search of adventure. His conception of the city then was of Times Square and he roamed the neighborhood until daylight began to fade. As he made his way to the Port Authority Terminal and his bus trip home, he noticed a long black limousine driving slowly toward him. The limo came to a stop and its driver jumped out and opened the back door at the curb. As he did, he motioned the boy to stay where he was so his passenger would have a clear path across the sidewalk. Nearly 60 years later, the man who had been that boy remembered,"...a white-gloved hand reached out for help and it was given. Then came a face of dizzying beauty..." She was blonde and she wore a long gown that appeared to be made of "tiny white pearls seemingly flung at her in wild abandon and clinging to every pore. Around her neck, over her wrists and on her ears were brightly sparkling diamonds." The boy's heart was already pounding when, as she turned, the woman noticed him, smiled and whispered, "Hi."</span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z71LHpcSOn4d7F07C7z_wbfH3ZOfuo8y8ytMEyZn0jy3e-U_APLtEVteF6Sgg5J50oPRy_XUnGyk-tz3AjOsJQAY0Riq5MPgWNRRZSH5C-NzsLHWVeJbwph-ZIptoleiAbJeISAoD2r1/s1600/Marilyn+by+Avedon+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z71LHpcSOn4d7F07C7z_wbfH3ZOfuo8y8ytMEyZn0jy3e-U_APLtEVteF6Sgg5J50oPRy_XUnGyk-tz3AjOsJQAY0Riq5MPgWNRRZSH5C-NzsLHWVeJbwph-ZIptoleiAbJeISAoD2r1/s320/Marilyn+by+Avedon+4.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Richard Avedon</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The bedazzled boy, Frank Langella, who grew up to be an Oscar-nominated, three-time Tony-winning actor, was stunned. He had serendipitously encountered Marilyn Monroe, "the girl" who enraptured the world that year in <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</i> and <i>How to Marry a Millionaire </i>and would soon create pandemonium with <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>. Years later Richard Avedon, one of many famed photographers for whom the actress posed, would comment, "There was no such person as Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was an invention of hers. A genius invention that she created like an author creates a character."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The vision that materialized before wide-eyed young Frank Langella on a New York street was the painstaking creation of the former Norma Jeane Baker, but the realization of this fantasy creature had required inspiration and encouragement from others. Not too unlike an orphan on a quest in a folk tale, she rose from humble origins, faced great obstacles and setbacks and, with the aid of others along with her own hard work and desire, transformed her life.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3v1ToxOvx7d9qlTCuCjXhm6SuhyphenhyphenmQegIlimTe2gWrlN__7l_fD-k4oLurmphAy_me7QKRfmbiNBq6fwKZgw-wZtC02OvC-s28rEDrIr5BqNT47rRorEORp1B2TtB5EUqLZCjDemDmdVql/s1600/Marilyn+at+age+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3v1ToxOvx7d9qlTCuCjXhm6SuhyphenhyphenmQegIlimTe2gWrlN__7l_fD-k4oLurmphAy_me7QKRfmbiNBq6fwKZgw-wZtC02OvC-s28rEDrIr5BqNT47rRorEORp1B2TtB5EUqLZCjDemDmdVql/s320/Marilyn+at+age+9.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norma Jeane Baker, age nine</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1935, Grace McKee, a friend and co-worker of Gladys Baker at a Hollywood editing lab, became her unstable friend's court-appointed guardian and the legal guardian of the woman's nine-year-old daughter, Norma Jeane. A childless peroxide blonde with "stage mother" instincts, McKee filled the little girl's imagination with lavish fancies of one day becoming a bombshell movie star like the one with whom she herself was obsessed - Jean Harlow. When Grace married "Doc" Goddard, Norma Jeane was, for a time, sent to live in the red-brick mansion that served as the Los Angeles Orphans Home. Grace would take the girl out to lunch and a movie most Saturdays and regularly had the child's hair styled at a beauty parlor. Norma Jeane would be returned to the orphanage with her hair freshly curled and be-ribboned and, on occasion, wearing makeup Grace had applied to her very young face. The guardian coached the girl on her smile and paraded her in front of friends crowing "isn't she pretty?" and bragged that the child was going to grow up to be beautiful and famous. It would be little more than a decade after becoming Norma Jeane Baker's guardian that Grace Goddard would, because her charge was not yet 21, sign the girl's first contract with 20th Century Fox.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When Johnny Hyde, a powerful William Morris agent on the West Coast, met 22-year-old Marilyn Monroe on New Year's Eve 1949, she was a starlet adrift in the wilderness of the "party circuit" looking for a break. At one time known as producer "Joe Schenk's girl," she had been under contract to Fox for a year, from 1946 to 1947, and with Columbia Pictures for just six months in 1948. It was during her stint at Fox that she had adopted her screen name with the help of Ben Lyon, the studio's casting director. "Monroe" was her mother's family name; Lyon suggested "Marilyn." He had known and loved Broadway star <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126833333" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Marilyn Miller</a> before his marriage to Bebe Daniels, and Norma Jeane Baker reminded him of the talented and lovely blonde, blue-eyed actress who had died young.</span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO1ZmpAkZv7VpB8DpHviHCQRnwSqiPelYBUh36-okLnmWqvAUyAmksa0igpspJECpfMTSPCUhLnrg3cK3hQp9a1QfPbjwwPmPmFi4qMYFm_F13Rz2aTQfM7aRLOF1Ng3aYoej_ng72ukD/s1600/Marilyn+in+1950+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO1ZmpAkZv7VpB8DpHviHCQRnwSqiPelYBUh36-okLnmWqvAUyAmksa0igpspJECpfMTSPCUhLnrg3cK3hQp9a1QfPbjwwPmPmFi4qMYFm_F13Rz2aTQfM7aRLOF1Ng3aYoej_ng72ukD/s320/Marilyn+in+1950+2.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Monroe in 1950</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For Johnny Hyde, meeting Marilyn Monroe led to an enchantment that brought an end to his marriage and the beginning of his tireless promotion of her career. He saw a singular quality in the sensuous blonde and worked to make things happen quickly for her. By the time of his sudden death in 1950, Hyde had negotiated parts for her in John Huston's <i>The Asphalt Jungle </i>(1950) and Joseph Mankiewicz's <i>All About Eve </i>(1950). Her success in these roles led to a new, more generous contract with Fox, an agreement that was secured by Hyde.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Howard Hawks had been unimpressed with the starlet when he first met her in 1948. But after seeing her in <i>The Asphalt Jungle</i>, he realized she had something. And when she was cast in a supporting role in one of his films, <i>Monkey Business </i>(1952), he took a closer look at her potential. Hawks became convinced that Fox chief Darryl Zanuck was misreading Marilyn's appeal, too often casting her in the wrong sort of films. He told Zanuck, "You're making realism with a very unreal girl. She's a completely storybook character..." and urged him to produce <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</i>, a studio property, and cast her in it; furthermore, he agreed to direct.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1949 <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes </i>had made Carol Channing a Broadway sensation; in 1953, the screen adaptation had an even more powerful impact on the career of Marilyn Monroe. With the film's tremendous success, Marilyn left behind forever her years as a struggling cheesecake model/rising newcomer and emerged a bona fide superstar. She proved to have a talent for comedy and a fine sense of timing and, with Howard Hawks creating the ideal vehicle for her and overseeing an elegant Technicolor upgrade of her look and style, she embodied to scintillating perfection a funny, sexy, sweet and unique confection that produced fireworks on the screen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</i>, Marilyn Monroe and top-billed co-star Jane Russell are well-matched as a pair of gorgeous gal-pal showgirls on the loose on the high seas and in Paris. Delectably dizzy/witty blonde Lorelei and droll, down-to-earth brunette Dorothy cut loose in clever comic scenes and dynamic musical routines. Both perform renditions of the centerpiece number, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." Marilyn's version became legendary.</span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y2bGerBiZQ8" width="420"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fox strikes again! This video clip has been blocked</span></span>.</div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fox's next assignment for its new star was not as solid a film as her last, but it was even more popular. <i>How to Marry a Millionaire </i>(1953) teamed Marilyn with not just one but two other glittery leading ladies - Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. Another glamor-fest, the story follows three models who rent a ritzy penthouse in Manhattan for a year in hopes of luring and marrying wealthy suitors before their lease expires. Bacall's is the central storyline and hers is the commonsense character; Grable and Marilyn are both ditzy-but-dear dumb blonde types. Marilyn, of course, is the knockout in the trio and, next to her, Betty Grable seems a decade out-of-date. <i>How to Marry a Millionaire </i>was the #5 box office hit of 1953, with <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes </i>close behind at #6. As for Marilyn Monroe, she was on top.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleWBrBKTUsAgThPj4XUKceKKfN6KD94YF-VquJHLqjS31MZQK5ZH9AQOM3oDKQjiZaMHmF_qQG6K3cRpGYHVXS7TUI9IIUZ5u5kX3p6GBw1ZhCUoxx1vTxoWuLCz2EJKwYTJutzq1cDJz/s1600/Marilyn+in+Travilla+HtMaM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleWBrBKTUsAgThPj4XUKceKKfN6KD94YF-VquJHLqjS31MZQK5ZH9AQOM3oDKQjiZaMHmF_qQG6K3cRpGYHVXS7TUI9IIUZ5u5kX3p6GBw1ZhCUoxx1vTxoWuLCz2EJKwYTJutzq1cDJz/s200/Marilyn+in+Travilla+HtMaM.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Marilyn in a classic Travilla gown<i></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">By the time Darryl Zanuck conspired with Billy Wilder to adapt the Broadway adultery romp, <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>,<i> </i>to the screen for Marilyn in 1955, there was no longer any need to pair her with another actress or even an established leading man to bolster the film's box office appeal. Though it is minor Wilder, <i>The Seven Year Itch </i>is the film that certified Marilyn as a phenomenon. On Broadway, George Axelrod's play centered on the brief affair of a married man with his gorgeous neighbor while his family is away on vacation. Even though Hollywood's Production Code demanded that there be no adultery in the adultery comedy, the onscreen presence of Marilyn Monroe was enough to tantalize and satisfy a worldwide audience. The studio's enticing publicity campaign - it was all about Marilyn in a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2011-06-20-marilyn-monroe-dress-auction_n.htm" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">billowy white dress</a> - created a furor.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For a while the sensitive but wily star was able to navigate Hollywood's treacherous rapids. She managed to use the scandal of nude calendar photos to her advantage; she explained away the revelation that she was not, technically, an orphan; and she weathered the outcry stirred by the public remarks of Joan Crawford who implied she was lewd and vulgar. But Marilyn could never cope with her performance anxiety.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Billy Wilder, ever outspoken and eminently quotable, quipped about his tribulations in working with Marilyn, "I had no problems with Monroe. It was Monroe who had problems with Monroe."</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWWTkOrRBxJXo6xDg45clzEQN29qrhtcCY8aODunwxBR3rnuYo8EXDsHw6QxdJQAoewcewJAovtFpT_1Ys604e_49EKg9a-6VHsBpov77FU7uvB3aJmH4VdxxAEf9tK09jzEh2FEvXCIj/s1600/Marilyn+sans+makeup+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWWTkOrRBxJXo6xDg45clzEQN29qrhtcCY8aODunwxBR3rnuYo8EXDsHw6QxdJQAoewcewJAovtFpT_1Ys604e_49EKg9a-6VHsBpov77FU7uvB3aJmH4VdxxAEf9tK09jzEh2FEvXCIj/s320/Marilyn+sans+makeup+2.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn <i>sans</i> makeup</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fritz Lang, who had directed her in <i>Clash by Night </i>(1952), remembered that she was "...scared as hell to come to the studio, always late, couldn't remember her lines..." And Howard Hawks noted, "The more important she became, the more frightened she became." Whitey Snyder, Marilyn's makeup artist from her Fox screen test to her funeral, thought her anxiety was connected to her appearance. He said that though she knew every makeup trick there was and used them to marvelous effect, "...it was all an illusion: in person, out of makeup, she was very pretty but in a plain way, and she knew it." It was more than that, though. Marilyn Monroe wasn't simply at the mercy of a fantastical physical image that required scrupulous upkeep. Her ever-shifting entourage included more than hair, makeup and massage professionals, she was also closely attended by personal confidants, studio advisors, talent agents, attorneys, psychotherapists, trophy husbands - and drama coaches.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Determined to be more than a pretty onscreen face with a voluptuous body, she took acting seriously. Teacher Natasha Lytess, employed by Fox at Marilyn's insistence, coached her even as the actress performed in front of the camera. Howard Hawks balked at this and successfully barred Lytess from the set of <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</i>. Billy Wilder referred to her as "that creature Lytess" but put up with her on <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">By the mid-'50s, Marilyn was studying with "method" guru Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York. Julie Newmar, a member of the Studio at the time, remembered her performance of a scene from <i>Anna Christie</i> with Maureen Stapleton. She recalled that Marilyn's hand actually shook as she lifted a drink from the bar. In her view, Marilyn reflected precisely the essence of Strasberg's teachings - she had <i>become </i>Anna Christie. Of Lee Strasberg, Newmar mused that he favored three kinds of artists, "the highly gifted; the injured, tortured souls; and the beauty queens. He adored Marilyn." Soon Lytess was replaced as Marilyn's personal acting coach by Paula Strasberg, Lee's wife.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_g26QKnkIcGsPgafHeu1xuLOAE6rO4AahyphenhyphenX6SbdMlM10QCHt92ElXBlVJvessDe-KZfucuR-c_sZ4VydO9bZKuvROyzQq0RTlVCcDh8gIYu_L-kyirlEVKtqtoeg5y-TnLbEZGX53VVl/s1600/marlon+and+marilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_g26QKnkIcGsPgafHeu1xuLOAE6rO4AahyphenhyphenX6SbdMlM10QCHt92ElXBlVJvessDe-KZfucuR-c_sZ4VydO9bZKuvROyzQq0RTlVCcDh8gIYu_L-kyirlEVKtqtoeg5y-TnLbEZGX53VVl/s400/marlon+and+marilyn.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...with Brando promoting a 1955 Actors Studio benefit </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Billy Wilder happily agreed to tackle another project with Marilyn in 1959; her natural luminosity was "something extra, something special" that he believed </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">no one else could bring to the film. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">He would struggle mightily with her on the comedy masterpiece <i>Some Like it Hot </i>and was critical of the effect method acting seemed to have had on her. Before she took up Strasberg's approach, he said, Marilyn came before the camera as if she were about to walk a tightrope over a pit. After adopting "the method" it seemed to him that she focused her full concentration on only the pit...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Over the years, perhaps in an attempt to deal with her terror of "the pit" and other personal woes, Marilyn became dependent on drugs - pills that lifted her up or calmed her down or put her to sleep - and alcohol. Her reputation for being unreliable and difficult grew to epic proportions. Those who worked on her later films reported that she sometimes appeared on the set as if in a daze and, during the filming of <i>Some Like it Hot</i>, screenwriter Izzy Diamond recalled that she sipped liquor from a thermos that ostensibly contained coffee.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kElKxgf2t0Owzpw9Au1ruoRdNTMRNE2qBRzcwdv44PELwFAREQBlDvjNyYtcCJ-zR7urWnGNTTKTyhkSmqwjLTw4WyP-d62M04SxExYW4wNqSfqhQSLUeXZkkqQfBUQxkfj1FTHIA0Z2/s1600/Marilyn+by+geo+barris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kElKxgf2t0Owzpw9Au1ruoRdNTMRNE2qBRzcwdv44PELwFAREQBlDvjNyYtcCJ-zR7urWnGNTTKTyhkSmqwjLTw4WyP-d62M04SxExYW4wNqSfqhQSLUeXZkkqQfBUQxkfj1FTHIA0Z2/s320/Marilyn+by+geo+barris.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by George Barris</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">When Marilyn returned to Hollywood in 1960 after years of making her home in New York, she sought the care of Freudian analyst Ralph Greenson. The doctor, who treated her until her death, diagnosed her as "a borderline paranoid addictive personality." Norma Jeane Baker had endured a confusing and chaotic childhood, passed from home to home among friends and family - to an orphanage and back - until she was handed off in marriage at just 16.  Young Marilyn Monroe was also passed around - among the powerful men of Hollywood - during her years as an aspiring starlet. From a psychological standpoint, then, it's no surprise that her relationships were intense and volatile, her identity unstable, her emotions erratic and her actions impulsive. Greenson, who viewed her as a perennial orphan, discarded traditional therapeutic methods and took up a highly unorthodox approach in treating her. In a misguided attempt to "save" her, he welcomed Marilyn into his home and family and took on the role of "father" as well as therapist. He had set for himself an impossible task.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktWVTLVUR8lSJSTGgJVsU7zfoZk3JVUczEM84GWgxoa2uY4TKhD0oEcKfOQhicz-uv5vcA8rlAQppAJKXrta_OX_Q2g_7GGfGoj1ZAuVPvuwdGGviAMPfDfiPu8MKHPX8JEwZjWVfcfoI/s1600/MM+SGtG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktWVTLVUR8lSJSTGgJVsU7zfoZk3JVUczEM84GWgxoa2uY4TKhD0oEcKfOQhicz-uv5vcA8rlAQppAJKXrta_OX_Q2g_7GGfGoj1ZAuVPvuwdGGviAMPfDfiPu8MKHPX8JEwZjWVfcfoI/s320/MM+SGtG.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Something's Got to Give </i>(1962)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even at the peak of her popularity, Marilyn was considered risqué, a sex symbol, and was not taken seriously. Her film roles changed little over time and became, for her, a deadly repetition – the artless, often giddy showgirl, or ex-showgirl. Cherie in <i>Bus Stop </i>(1956), Elsie in <i>The Prince and the Showgirl </i>(1957), Sugar in <i>Some Like it Hot</i>,<i> </i>Amanda in <i>Let’s Make Love </i>(1960) and even Roslyn in <i>The Misfits</i> (1961) are variations on a type the actress wanted to break. With her final, unfinished film, George Cukor’s <i>Something’s Got to Give</i>, she was cast in a role that might have helped her broaden the "Marilyn Monroe" persona; Ellen Wagstaff Arden was beautiful but she was also married and the mother of two small children. Had she been able to finish the film, Marilyn might have gone on to romantic comedy roles <i>a la</i> Doris Day or Shirley MacLaine. It’s also possible she could have moved into mature dramatic roles as Ava Gardner, Lee Remick and others did. But this was not to be. Life as a cultural metaphor and brand-name commodity may simply have been too much for a woman already consumed by an array of insecurities. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">50 years ago Marilyn Monroe stepped out of the dream and into eternity. Her extravagant fulfillment of a childhood guardian’s fuzzy fantasies had taken her on a journey both harrowing and exhilarating, but her life would come to no fairytale ending. Only with death would come transcendence, and the mythical being she so carefully fashioned and brought to vibrant life lives on, unforgettable and bewitching.</span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMd-0vYMqgVD9vKY0lSmts5kvGFIVl6tlP3tszTIc_jIa_DkhzkHOiafw1031zcuqyq4_yFEKW-ZmAL6gH57KU70VKdNkZEwPosqLlTCHOGbYWCzryhRNNgRRnw3z9TZQRmxCoPJHqV6p0/s1600/Marilyn+in+black+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMd-0vYMqgVD9vKY0lSmts5kvGFIVl6tlP3tszTIc_jIa_DkhzkHOiafw1031zcuqyq4_yFEKW-ZmAL6gH57KU70VKdNkZEwPosqLlTCHOGbYWCzryhRNNgRRnw3z9TZQRmxCoPJHqV6p0/s400/Marilyn+in+black+2.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Bert Stern</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>T</b><b>his post is my contribution to the Summer Under the Stars blogathon hosted by Jill of Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and Michael of ScribeHard on Film.</b></span><b> <a href="http://scribehardonfilm.wordpress.com/tag/2012-tcm-summer-under-the-stars-blogathon/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> <span style="color: #0b5394;">to learn more...</span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ~</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Notes</u>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Marilyn Monroe: The Biography </i>by Donald Spoto, Harper Collins (1993)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Marilyn Monroe</i> by Barbara Leaming, Crown (1998)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>On Sunset Blvd.: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder </i>by Ed Sikov, Hyperion (1998)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis </i>by David Wills and Stephen Schmidt, It Books (2011)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Dropped Names </i>by Frank Langella, Harper (2012) </span></div></div>

Billy Wilder Gentlemen Prefer Blondes How to Marry a Millionaire Howard Hawks Marilyn Monroe Summer Under the Stars TCM The Lady Eve (author) The Seven Year Itch Marilyn Monroe: Out of a Dream

photo by Jack Cardiff One chilly winter morning in 1953, a 15-year-old boy took a bus from his home in New Jersey to New York City in search...

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A Different Star Every Day in August...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTekypTNK2tOlg__YIeZT3R-p6CevxmijikahItGEVcjmShQEIp53bJAVlg0Rd_PrqYlUtp94FdbefNuQ7YaED4UX33mgfqt5-Zk7Ct5NVaKKn5qQrrAXlFEq1TtW_fgA5MxaDB29EAR9/s1600/Summer+header+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTekypTNK2tOlg__YIeZT3R-p6CevxmijikahItGEVcjmShQEIp53bJAVlg0Rd_PrqYlUtp94FdbefNuQ7YaED4UX33mgfqt5-Zk7Ct5NVaKKn5qQrrAXlFEq1TtW_fgA5MxaDB29EAR9/s400/Summer+header+2.JPG" width="336" /></a></div><span id="goog_40881947" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span id="goog_40881948" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span id="goog_40881943"></span><span id="goog_40881944"></span> </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Every year in August, Turner Classic Movies presents its popular month-long salute to 31 stars, each honored with a full 24 hours devoted exclusively to their films. August 2012 marks the movie channel’s 10^th annual <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summer Under the Stars </i>celebration and among those being showcased for the first time this year are Marilyn Monroe, Tyrone Power, Anthony Quinn, Eva Marie Saint, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Kay Francis and Warren William.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />In addition, Jill of <a href="http://sittinonabackyardfence.com/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Sittin' on a Backyard Fence</a> and Michael of <a href="http://scribehardonfilm.wordpress.com/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">ScribeHard on Film</a>  will be celebrating with a month-long blogathon to complement TCM's August event. <a href="http://scribehardonfilm.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/jill-and-michael-present-the-2012-tcm-summer-under-the-stars-blogathon/#comment-212" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information...and check back <i>here</i> on August 4...<br /><br />And now, a glimpse, with a little commentary, of what this year's <i>Summer Under the Stars </i>has in store.<b> </b><br /><br /><b>Aug. 1</b> - <b>John Wayne</b> - Three iconic Ford Westerns, <i>Stagecoach </i>(1939), <i>She Wore a Yellow Ribbon </i>(1949) and <i>The Searchers </i>(1956); two great Hawks Westerns, <i>Red River </i>(1948) and <i>Rio Bravo </i>(1959) - plus  seven more.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Aug. 2</b> - <b>Myrna Loy</b> - 14 of Loy's films will be presented including several from the Pre-Code era as well as some of her best known films - like <i>The Thin Man </i>(1934), <i>Libeled Lady </i>(1936), <i>Wife vs. Secretary </i>(1936) and <i>The Best Years of Our Lives </i>(1946).<br /><br /><b>Aug. 3</b> - <b>Johnny Weissmuller</b> - TCM's first nod to this <i>Summer Under the Stars </i>honoree will spotlight 13 Tarzan adventures and three Jungle Jim features.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyhSbUVtDR_YMlng1huHyZIs08wnoNq7EfflYYwh86CycJVeCS9CEDhwAgmah5ucXutduPRJQvr163VVLIsUGeMpHXR_XKDswXKA-w7HcJKTBmoJbkt8AhMiWM3wjXBwNT-YN_NQ05JxQ/s1600/MM+itch+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyhSbUVtDR_YMlng1huHyZIs08wnoNq7EfflYYwh86CycJVeCS9CEDhwAgmah5ucXutduPRJQvr163VVLIsUGeMpHXR_XKDswXKA-w7HcJKTBmoJbkt8AhMiWM3wjXBwNT-YN_NQ05JxQ/s400/MM+itch+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder's <i>The Seven Year Itch</i> (1955)</td></tr></tbody></table><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 4 - Marilyn Monroe</b> - She received credit in only 26 films and had only bit parts in several of them. TCM will air 12 of her best-know films, including every film she made from 1953 forward except her last (1961's <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2012/05/myth-making-misfits-1961.html" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank"><i>The Misfits</i></a>). </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 5 - Claude Rains</b> will be honored with 13 films, from 1933's <i>The Invisible Man </i>to his final film, <i>Twilight of Honor </i>from 1963. Included is the “four” series: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four Daughters </i>(1938), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four Wives </i>(1939) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four Mothers </i>(1941).<br /><br /><b>Aug. 6 - Van Heflin</b> is being recognized for the first time with 13 films including <i>Act of Violence </i>(1949), <i>Battle Cry </i>(1955) and <i>3:10 to Yuma </i>(1957).<br /><br /><b>Aug. 7 - Sidney Poitier</b> - A twenty year span of Poitier's career will be covered, from 1952 (<i>Cry the Beloved Country</i>) to 1972 (<i>Buck and the Preacher</i>, also directed by Poitier), with 12 films.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 8 - Rita Hayworth</b> - Cary Grant called her "Judy" in <i>Only Angels have Wings </i>(1939), but everyone remembers her as <i>Gilda </i>(1946). These are just two of the 13 Hayworth films scheduled on her day.<br /><br /><b>Aug</b>. <b>9</b> - <b>Toshiro Mifune</b>, one of Japan's preeminent actors, receives his first nod from TCM with six of his best-known Kurosawa films. Also featured <i>Samuarai I </i>(1955), <i>II</i> (1955) and <i>III</i> (1956) from Hiroshi Inagaki, <i>Samurai Rebellion </i>(1967) and Inagaki's <i>Muhomatsu, The Rickshaw Man </i>(1958).<br /><br /><b>Aug. 10 - Lionel Barrymore</b> - 14 films will commemorate Barrymore, from the silent <i>West of Zanzibar </i>(1928) with Lon Chaney, to one of his very last onscreen appearances: <i>Lone Star </i>in 1953 with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUHiuRHAP8kn0J8CNtW3Ey_5x1clNf_KpI84-fAw0IhHsd0w7N4Pqk-HwN9TTr4GEEgZPlTrNZgE2vq1Pv-Swyd9k4zoBkk0AIWNQh5S_tQIn-GjXBkVSFivIkYSsmfv2Ba0coqypNbY8/s1600/desertfox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUHiuRHAP8kn0J8CNtW3Ey_5x1clNf_KpI84-fAw0IhHsd0w7N4Pqk-HwN9TTr4GEEgZPlTrNZgE2vq1Pv-Swyd9k4zoBkk0AIWNQh5S_tQIn-GjXBkVSFivIkYSsmfv2Ba0coqypNbY8/s320/desertfox.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Mason as Field Marshall Rommell in <i>The Desert Fox</i> (1951)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 11 - James Mason</b>, the handsome actor with the incomparable voice, will be honored with 10 films, among them <i>The Desert Fox </i>(1951), <i>A Star is Born </i>(1954), <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth </i>(1959), Kubrick's <i>Lolita </i>(1962) and <i>Lord Jim </i>(1965). If only <i>5 Fingers</i> (1952) <i></i>was part of the schedule!<br /><br /><b>Aug. 12 - Ginger Rogers</b> - Four of her films with Astaire - <i>Swing Time </i>(1936), <i>Shall We Dance? </i>(1937), <i>Carefree </i>(1938) and <i>The Barkleys of Broadway </i>(1949) - are among the 13 films that will celebrate her career.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 13 - Deborah Kerr<i> </i></b>will be honored with 12 films, including her own favorite among them, Jack Clayton's <i>The Innocents </i>(1961), and one of Powell and Pressburger's (The Archers) legendary masterpieces, <i>Black Narcissus </i>(1947).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm7C8ijm60IyLnOFyROJUP1vwllN3C4VgvJEpq8dlNCF_hgYsMydrMflVIJ6KeuXFgMBg6HGujpomYiy8Jq0qDoFdMkj8O5gQIKHB2rCiqEAqdD64kUIie__osTY8r_XHecnVBtkb4xs9/s1600/footlight-parade-blondell-and-cagney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm7C8ijm60IyLnOFyROJUP1vwllN3C4VgvJEpq8dlNCF_hgYsMydrMflVIJ6KeuXFgMBg6HGujpomYiy8Jq0qDoFdMkj8O5gQIKHB2rCiqEAqdD64kUIie__osTY8r_XHecnVBtkb4xs9/s320/footlight-parade-blondell-and-cagney.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan Blondell and James Cagney in <i>Footlight Parade </i>(1933)</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Aug. 14 - James Cagney </b>- 13 Cagney films, from Pre-Code Hollywood to his late career, plus the 1992 documentary <i>James Cagney: Top of the World</i>, hosted by Michael J. Fox.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 15 - Lillian Gish </b>- This is Gish's first year as a <i>Summer Under the Stars </i>honoree. D.W. Griffith's <i>Intolerance </i>(1916) will be featured as well as his <i>Broken Blossoms </i>(1919) and <i>Orphans of the Storm </i>(1921). 12 films in all, including two from Victor Sjostrom, <i>The Scarlet Letter </i>(1926) and <i>The Wind </i>(1928), plus Charles Laughton's<i> The Night of the Hunter</i> (1955) and <i>The Comedians </i>(1967), with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 16 - Elvis Presley </b>- <i>Jailhouse Rock </i>(1957) and <i>Elvis on Tour </i>(1972) are the highlights. 12 more are also on the schedule.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 17 - Katharine Hepburn </b>- Four films co-starring Spencer Tracy are on tap - <i>Woman of the Year </i>(1942), <i>Adam's Rib </i>(1949), <i>Pat and Mike </i>(1952) and <i>Guess Who's Coming to Dinner </i>(1967) - plus the ever-popular <i>Bringing Up Baby </i>(1938) and seven others.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 18 - Freddie Bartholomew</b> - This is the one-time child star's first turn on <i>Summer Under the Stars</i>. His signature pictures - <i>David Copperfield </i>(1935), <i>Little Lord Fauntleroy </i>(1936), <i>Captains Courageous </i>(1937) and <i>Kidnapped </i>(1938) - are among his 13 films set to air.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 19 - Eva Marie Saint </b>is also in the August spotlight for the first time. 10 films, including <i>North by Northwest </i>(1959) will be shown, along with the documentary, <i>Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest </i>(2000), which she hosted. Also screening: <i>On the Waterfront </i>(1954), <i>A Hatful of Rain </i>(1957) and <i>All Fall Down </i>(1962).<br /><br /><b>Aug. 20 - Anthony Quinn</b> - Another <i>SUTS </i>first-timer, Quinn will be honored with 11 films, including <i>The Ox-Bow Incident </i>(1943), <i>Lust for Life </i>(1956), <i>Requiem for a Heavyweight </i>(1962) and <i>Zorba the Greek </i>(1964).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt62FQL7eS-dqaiTzA6Qd6JNgQd13PemAmxHVwUs2-iqVWUcHPWVeYBIAebGMu1g7oWKqASiZAOs8RrFkIe_pBzZDAj9PKPt4jW_tqOAyNYIS6Q-N2_wS0Cv3I0_cXqTuSYm0jgWcw_4SB/s1600/one+way+passage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt62FQL7eS-dqaiTzA6Qd6JNgQd13PemAmxHVwUs2-iqVWUcHPWVeYBIAebGMu1g7oWKqASiZAOs8RrFkIe_pBzZDAj9PKPt4jW_tqOAyNYIS6Q-N2_wS0Cv3I0_cXqTuSYm0jgWcw_4SB/s320/one+way+passage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Powell and Kay Francis in <i>One Way Passage </i>(1932)</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Aug. 21 - Kay Francis</b>, the one-time Warner Bros. leading lady is yet another first-time <i>SUTS </i>honoree. 17 Francis films are on the bill and the majority are Pre-Code, including two with William Powell, <i>Jewel Robbery </i>and <i>One Way Passage</i>, both from 1932.<br /><br /><b>Aug. 22 - Jack Lemmon</b> - 11 of his dozens of films will be shown, beginning with the delightful <i>Phffft! </i>(1954) co-starring Judy Holliday and ending with the last film Billy Wilder directed, <i>Buddy, Buddy</i> (1981) with Walter Matthau. Two of his best, <i>The Apartment </i>(1960) and <i>Days of Wine and Roses</i> (1962) are part of the mix.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 23 - Gene Kelly </b>is being honored on his centenary this year. In conjunction with that anniversary, the Classic Movie Blog Association is sponsoring <a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2012/04/gene-kelly-centenarian-blogathon-august.html" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">a blogathon</a> in his honor...I’ll be blogging on one of his lesser films, the Marilyn Monroe vehicle (see August 4) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let’s Make Love</i> (1960), in which he made a cameo, but other bloggers will take a look at many of the films TCM will screen on the 23rd, including: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An American in Paris </i>(1951), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Singin’ in the Rain </i>(1952), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On the Town </i>(1949), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invitation to the Dance </i>(1956) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Aug. 24 - Irene Dunne </b>- 13 of Dunne's films, from the obscure to her best known and loved, will screen - including my all-time favorite screwball, <i>The Awful Truth </i>(1937).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfY1-LkB7dXNoY6bIZxrh2fN10r2DWTihou6984iogAMUvwC9ZbC3c2IA1_nLWrYqc_N2MIdlPnjJdidlzxnxnKjJ63u5GQK2ZPNqgShv8lNJwsAQjr-wbSvi6ybWxm7waLeQtfzKkwMov/s1600/jesse+james.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfY1-LkB7dXNoY6bIZxrh2fN10r2DWTihou6984iogAMUvwC9ZbC3c2IA1_nLWrYqc_N2MIdlPnjJdidlzxnxnKjJ63u5GQK2ZPNqgShv8lNJwsAQjr-wbSvi6ybWxm7waLeQtfzKkwMov/s320/jesse+james.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrone Power in <i>Jesse James </i>(1939)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Aug. 25 - Tyrone Power </b>- Was he the handsomest man ever to grace the silver screen? I thought so the first time I saw his dark, striking face. Robert Osborne has written that Power was often described as “illegally handsome” and TCM will feature some of the films in which he stopped my young heart: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesse James </i>(1939), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Johnny Apollo </i>(1940) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Yank in the R.A.F. </i>(1941). All that’s missing from this handsome-a-thon are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rains Came </i>(1939), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blood and Sand</i>(1941) and one or two others. TCM will also present some of the films in which Tyrone Power was given the opportunity to display his ability as an actor: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Razor’s Edge </i>(1946) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Witness for the Prosecution </i>(1957).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Aug. 26 - Gary Cooper</b> - 11 films and one documentary will honor the actor on his day. One of the two films for which he won a Best Actor Oscar, <i>Sergeant York </i>(1941), will be shown, as well as one for which he was nominated, <i>The Pride of the Yankees</i> (1942). And there's even one I'd never heard of, <i>One Sunday Afternoon </i>(1933) with Fay Wray... </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 27 - Jeanette MacDonald</b> is best known for her partnership with Nelson Eddy, and seven of their films are among the 12 of hers set to air. Also on the schedule: Ernst Lubitsch's <i>The Merry Widow </i>(1934), <i>San Francisco </i>(1936) with Clark Gable and <i>Smilin' Through </i>(1941) with Gene Raymond.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 28 - Ava Gardner</b><b> </b>is one of very few who qualify as a true “Film Goddess.” She will be featured in pictures from her early days in Hollywood - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hitler’s Madman </i>(1943) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maisie Goes to Reno </i>(1944) - along with some of her most interesting films – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pandora and the Flying Dutchman </i>(1951) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Days in May</i> (1964) – and the one containing her best performance - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Night of the</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iguana (1964)</i>. Also interesting is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bribe </i>(1949), a glossy MGM noir. One I haven’t seen and will be recording is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Forbidden Past </i>(1951) with Melvyn Douglas and Robert Mitchum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Aug. 29 - Ingrid Bergman</b> - An interesting mix of Ingrid's films this year -  Hitchcock's misfire, <i>Under Capricorn</i> (1949) is followed by the two films she made next with future husband Roberto Rossellini, <i>Stromboli </i>(1950) and <i>Europa '51 </i>(1952). Also, Ingmar Bergman's <i>Autumn Sonata </i>(1978). Of course, <i>Gaslight </i>(1944) and <i>Casablanca</i> (1942) are among the 12 Bergman films on the bill. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2pBi4iuxFsrxYgtaRvknIr4aCsMpGOLHYolHzIgtSUt8Q1X61-edg1qihy7KZypEBqw_9dI1lSxjOxxPDiaNuu9GFxk8L5LZhtBsRDSzTFjn0BSAJbBIDMBfkbOV12W68QLczRiijcm7/s1600/Employees_Entrance_0092681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2pBi4iuxFsrxYgtaRvknIr4aCsMpGOLHYolHzIgtSUt8Q1X61-edg1qihy7KZypEBqw_9dI1lSxjOxxPDiaNuu9GFxk8L5LZhtBsRDSzTFjn0BSAJbBIDMBfkbOV12W68QLczRiijcm7/s1600/Employees_Entrance_0092681.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loretta Young and Warren William in <i>Employee's Entrance </i>(1933)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aug. 30 - Warren William</b> - Cliff Aliperti of <a href="http://warrenwilliam.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">WarrenWilliam.com</a>must be in seventh heaven! Some of William’s best known pictures will screen - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skyscraper Souls </i>(1932), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gold Diggers of 1933 </i>(1933), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lady for a Day </i>(1933) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cleopatra </i>(1934) - along with many less known. Thursday, Aug. 30, will be a day to find out a whole lot more about the film work of "Pre-Code cad" Warren William. <a href="http://immortalephemera.com/21049/august-2012-tcm-summer-under-the-stars-preview/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for Cliff Aliperti's <i>SUTS</i> preview at his Immortal Ephemera website.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><b>Aug. 31 - James Caan </b>receives his first <i>SUTS</i> nod this year. Missing is the film that made him a star, <i>The Godfather</i> (1972), but Michael Mann's debut film, <i>Thief </i>(1981), is well worth watching. Also among the 12 Caan films on the schedule is <i>The Rain People </i>(1969), the last film Francis Coppola made before <i>The Godfather</i>; it co-stars Robert Duvall.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOpwAeCefGKT2amRr7f5GpMon70-TGhA7yS0nsU0PYZ7GdFL0ZYCJJNYqGmqbymTGkj3M1Rth5qRnuGVBFxBm-HbTEax6y1YHM-nDfvmQtGwOoKrtw2MVVAM9X550PkLGzZoR_1rk5Mh1/s1600/suts+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOpwAeCefGKT2amRr7f5GpMon70-TGhA7yS0nsU0PYZ7GdFL0ZYCJJNYqGmqbymTGkj3M1Rth5qRnuGVBFxBm-HbTEax6y1YHM-nDfvmQtGwOoKrtw2MVVAM9X550PkLGzZoR_1rk5Mh1/s400/suts+image.jpg" width="325" /></a></div></div>

Summer Under the Stars TCM The Lady Eve (author) Turner Classic Movies A Different Star Every Day in August...

Every year in August, Turner Classic Movies presents its popular month-long salute to 31 stars, each honored with a full 24 hours devoted e...

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Singin' and Dancin' into a Theater Near You

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNti_nk8A2eUzemYNst0ctd7K9t40DIGl6uKe3wqRHK4JUTIUroZifXQIjD_X3VhIsMNkcuXAPbJ6lv8RUZ5hk1HE9K5fz175FeJZYd-tYtohzbGwbxOBhEYDcU7nFDIl4RxYCk0x8KzFm/s1600/singin+in+the+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNti_nk8A2eUzemYNst0ctd7K9t40DIGl6uKe3wqRHK4JUTIUroZifXQIjD_X3VhIsMNkcuXAPbJ6lv8RUZ5hk1HE9K5fz175FeJZYd-tYtohzbGwbxOBhEYDcU7nFDIl4RxYCk0x8KzFm/s400/singin+in+the+rain.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gene Kelly, "singin' and dancin' in the rain..."</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In honor of the 60th anniversary of its original release, <i>Singin’ in the Rain </i>returns to theaters nationwide next Thursday, July 12, for one night only.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">This perfect opportunity for classic film fans to see one of the great Hollywood classics on the big screen is presented by Turner Classic Movies, NCM Fathom Events and Warner Home Video. The festivities will begin with a special TCM original production hosted by Robert Osborne that includes </span><span style="font-size: large;">behind-the-scenes footage</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and an interview with Debbie Reynolds, who starred in the film with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Next, Stanley Donen's <i>Singin’ in the Rain</i> will screen, fully re-mastered and it promises to be more dazzling than ever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1KrS6Qn-ZY4" width="560"></iframe> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">To further celebrate <i>Singin’ in the Rain</i>’s milestone anniversary, Warner Home Video will release a special 60th Anniversary Edition on July 17. The three-disc set will include the re-mastered film on DVD and Blu-Ray and will feature a new documentary entitled <i>Singin’ in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation</i>.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">This tribute marks the fourth classic movie anniversary event co-sponsored by NCM Fathom and TCM who have similarly commemorated the 70^th anniversaries of <i>Casablanca</i> (1942) and <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1939) as well as the 50^th anniversary of <i>West Side Story</i> (1961).<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First released in 1952 and nominated for two Academy Awards, <i>Singin’ in the Rain</i> ranks #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the “<a href="http://www.afi.com/100years/musicals.aspx" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">25 Greatest Movie Musicals</a>.” Tickets for the July 12 screenings are available online at the <a href="http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/singinintherain.aspx" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Fathom Events</a> website and through participating theater box offices.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMEn9bqbw4Ypg0EbexWwPQ0nUfDofGTr_VR_l2qVbDaVUxkDGB6rLlX8j9W0ArUrjhb-4IiXSqkZBLh99N6TF1H_cDsOsw4YCduK0ZJxXsNDoIhP1-6D7uGkKTiaEBLObTUvaMEQaYgX8/s1600/singin-60th-anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMEn9bqbw4Ypg0EbexWwPQ0nUfDofGTr_VR_l2qVbDaVUxkDGB6rLlX8j9W0ArUrjhb-4IiXSqkZBLh99N6TF1H_cDsOsw4YCduK0ZJxXsNDoIhP1-6D7uGkKTiaEBLObTUvaMEQaYgX8/s1600/singin-60th-anniversary.jpg" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Debbie Reynolds NCM Fathom Singin' in the Rain TCM The Lady Eve (author) Turner Classic Movies Warner Home Video Singin' and Dancin' into a Theater Near You

Gene Kelly, "singin' and dancin' in the rain..." In honor of the 60th anniversary of its original release, Singin’ in the ...

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Over the Rain-Forest and the Still Water Beach

<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g1015495-Mismaloya_Banderas_Bay_South_Shore_Pacific_Coast.html"><img alt="Mismaloya Photos" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/c3/b6/ee/night-of-the-iguana-set.jpg" /></a><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Abandoned movie set, Mismaloya, Mexico: photo courtesy of TripAdvisor </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The programmers at Turner Classic Movies may not have planned the schedule with me in mind, but they’ve lined up a fine mix of films for me on my birthday this year.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PrzT6K3OHqc6ANHLd_12wZce2Jp6jbsK-oBdNkgCQqlpJ17fXIZkE8GO5g0IMDGDG_bJ2T2K64Ag-UjauXTpo3caFV37-iTRPg9JyxtZit-teuGK5i8TWKRVJqfVjL5XHHVRuEP1oO9K/s1600/Wings+of+Desire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PrzT6K3OHqc6ANHLd_12wZce2Jp6jbsK-oBdNkgCQqlpJ17fXIZkE8GO5g0IMDGDG_bJ2T2K64Ag-UjauXTpo3caFV37-iTRPg9JyxtZit-teuGK5i8TWKRVJqfVjL5XHHVRuEP1oO9K/s320/Wings+of+Desire.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruno Ganz in <i>Wings of Desire</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">I share my day with Sir Laurence Olivier (born May 22, 1907), and TCM has programmed some films of his that I haven’t seen, including <i><a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/112933/Term-of-Trial/overview" style="color: blue;">Term of Trial</a> </i>(1962) co-starring the great French actress, Simone Signoret. Later on in the day my beloved San Francisco provides the setting for the 1955 sci-fi classic, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048215/" style="color: blue;"><i>It Came from Beneath the Sea</i></a>, in which the city is attacked by a radiation-enlarged octopus. In the evening, this month's TCM guest programmer, Deborah Winger, is set to appear. Among her choices is one film I haven’t seen but have had on my to-watch list for a long time: <a href="http://www.doubletakemagazine.org/int/html/wenders/" style="color: blue;">Wim Wenders</a>' 1987 classic, <i>Wings of Desire</i> brought its director the Best Director prize at Cannes in 1987 and won or was nominated for a raft of other awards.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Winger has also chosen to spotlight John Huston’s masterful production of Tennessee Williams' <i>The Night of the Iguana</i> (1964), one of the great film adaptations of Williams' work. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tennessee Williams had vacationed in Mexico during 1940, and his experiences at the Hotel Costa Verde outside Acapulco later formed the basis for his 1948 short story entitled <i>The Night of the Iguana</i>. Over time, the story evolved into a stage play that debuted on Broadway in 1961 starring Bette Davis in the role of Maxine Faulk, Margaret Leighton as Hannah Jelks and Patrick O’Neal as The Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon. It is Tennessee Williams' final masterpiece.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3si3bvA14jIBYQLeGpild1IM2QV-QSxOOBvWtEX7hmIGZvJ9JDeIwkC5H-mVp3-kJbgB3X214ktC-1vLHG90Wn__wTMC10ZrggZzAni1lK0GvCR7J8SHVtB8qhhIT4EnIABixVwEkTPU/s1600/leighton+williams+oneal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3si3bvA14jIBYQLeGpild1IM2QV-QSxOOBvWtEX7hmIGZvJ9JDeIwkC5H-mVp3-kJbgB3X214ktC-1vLHG90Wn__wTMC10ZrggZzAni1lK0GvCR7J8SHVtB8qhhIT4EnIABixVwEkTPU/s320/leighton+williams+oneal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret Leighton, Tennessee Williams and Patrick O'Neal</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reverend Shannon is an alcoholic Episcopal priest locked out of his church for stirring up scandal and reduced to working as a guide on a bus tour south of the border. A new scandal involving a nubile young woman in his group of mostly biddies has consumed him. As the play begins, Shannon brings his party to the broken down hotel of his friend Maxine and her late husband Fred on the Mexican seacoast. Also staying at the hotel are Hannah Jelks, an itinerant artist, and her elderly grandfather, a 'practicing' poet.  As Shannon wrestles with his demons he forms a bond with Hannah who is also in spiritual crisis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The stage production was rocky from the beginning, but it was also acclaimed and successful, running for 316 performances. <i>The Night of the Iguana</i> received Tony nominations for Best Play, Best Producer and Best Actress - for which Margaret Leighton won the award - and was also chosen the best new play of the year by the New York Drama Critics' Circle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmLTWc0EjIM4H0paoQk4oeop8x8ULA2zWRotFKzTAE5-BDgncq51Oda1WIg-IWbdOWlI_uG922G65uiN3L2oX45NQYdYBitex_iZbLnemRqhnPvol2ts9VFsMlRCE8g5tVQffpiKcjvAv/s1600/Bette+as+Maxine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmLTWc0EjIM4H0paoQk4oeop8x8ULA2zWRotFKzTAE5-BDgncq51Oda1WIg-IWbdOWlI_uG922G65uiN3L2oX45NQYdYBitex_iZbLnemRqhnPvol2ts9VFsMlRCE8g5tVQffpiKcjvAv/s320/Bette+as+Maxine.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bette Davis as Maxine Faulk on Broadway</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Legendary writer/director/producer Joshua Logan’s reaction to Bette Davis’ performance was enthusiastic: “She was svelte, handsome, voluptuous, wicked, wise, raffish, slightly vulgar – in fact, she was ideal for the part and gave the play added dimension.” But Davis was deeply unhappy in the production and began regularly missing performances. She left the show in April 1962 and Shelley Winters, who replaced her, quickly understood why Davis and her understudy, Madeleine Sherwood, had both been miserable in the part. It seems co-stars Patrick O’Neal and Margaret Leighton routinely undermined the actresses who played Maxine by using the age-old stage trick of moving slightly for a few seconds to divert the attention of the audience whenever they set up her lines. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu2XHOjvpDtVyAtIKK0uWEHNafB82AFqrWd9g1thjsl8Ofjkl5QUawUd-EnzpDhflVVwevQcscE7ex0DGXWsc9_4cJOy7r49Wzz362rQPRPgIFX69SDq7yf9SfzfZTjcEVa61apSVcdEm/s1600/burton+and+gardner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu2XHOjvpDtVyAtIKK0uWEHNafB82AFqrWd9g1thjsl8Ofjkl5QUawUd-EnzpDhflVVwevQcscE7ex0DGXWsc9_4cJOy7r49Wzz362rQPRPgIFX69SDq7yf9SfzfZTjcEVa61apSVcdEm/s320/burton+and+gardner.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Burton and Ava Gardner</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The journey of <i>The Night of the Iguana </i>from stage to screen began with a call from producer Ray Stark to writer/director John Huston during the play's Broadway run. Huston, no stranger to adapting great works (<i>The Maltese Falcon</i>, <i>The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</i>, <i>Moby Dick</i>, etc.), was interested and the two quickly began working out the details of their collaboration. They agreed on casting: Richard Burton as Shannon, Deborah Kerr as Hannah and Ava Gardner as Maxine. Burton and Kerr signed on immediately but Miss Gardner required some courting. Both Stark and Huston flew to Madrid, where Gardner was then living, and spent days wining and dining her until she agreed to take the part. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Huston and Stark disagreed on one major point, Stark wanted to film in color but Huston preferred black and white for fear that the vibrant colors to be found everywhere on location in Mismaloya, Mexico (azure skies and seas, multi-hued flora and fauna) would distract from the story. Years later, in his memoir, Huston wrote, “Looking back now, I think I was probably wrong.” He was. Color could only have underscored the power of Williams' evocative meditation on the tangle of spiritual and physical yearnings that drive human life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span id="goog_1507063323"></span><span id="goog_1507063324"></span><span id="goog_1507063326"></span><span id="goog_1507063327"></span><span id="goog_1507063328"></span><span id="goog_1507063329"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ6l1wcotC-RFnac8HK5SjH6eF7OWilYOJCDfaxtVS9ZpJem-J45Meob9kUm5ESmAS9el7k8TUUhusCdrOxDOUxWsNmWgNlLrFdJ3AXGemIGtiONa8gAUZ6KtqIiF5_lL5UR9NLvrd8uV/s1600/huston+and+burton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ6l1wcotC-RFnac8HK5SjH6eF7OWilYOJCDfaxtVS9ZpJem-J45Meob9kUm5ESmAS9el7k8TUUhusCdrOxDOUxWsNmWgNlLrFdJ3AXGemIGtiONa8gAUZ6KtqIiF5_lL5UR9NLvrd8uV/s400/huston+and+burton.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Huston and Richard Burton</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">At the time location work began on <i>The Night of the Iguana</i>, Richard Burton had not yet sacrificed his talent for fame and riches. One of the great, classically trained actors to emerge from Britain in the post-war era, Burton’s finest performances were defined by depth and soul and enriched by his majestic voice, piercing blue-green eyes and potent physical presence. As Deborah Kerr observed in a diary she kept during the shoot, Burton was at his peak as an actor at this point and she agreed with Ava Gardner that </span><span style="font-size: small;">"he makes everyone else act well, he is so good himself."</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Burton’s agonized rendering of the Reverend Shannon's dark night of the soul seems, at times, a glimpse into his own conflicted nature. Though he was not Oscar-nominated for this role (it was for his performance in <i>Becket </i>that earned his Best Actor nod in 1964), Burton would be nominated a total of seven times for an Academy Award, winning none, though he was otherwise acknowledged with BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony awards. When the filming of <i>The Night of the Iguana</i> got under way in October 1963, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were living together but not yet married; their life of paparazzi-infested, glittering excess had just begun. Even so, Huston later wrote, "There were more reporters on the site than iguanas..."</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q3sjrUOon4TAIHVNuWz8ohm6KrlYQFU22B2pE8_sBwuBl4AYlQS9XoUwRgJwmWMibOYuiqtMPkWtpYk48rdJ06nAEI2qH2R3TU58CAol7lcAypOTXxO4LkxXc68Sc3Qq_hbX6pdJ2eGu/s1600/huston+on+set.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q3sjrUOon4TAIHVNuWz8ohm6KrlYQFU22B2pE8_sBwuBl4AYlQS9XoUwRgJwmWMibOYuiqtMPkWtpYk48rdJ06nAEI2qH2R3TU58CAol7lcAypOTXxO4LkxXc68Sc3Qq_hbX6pdJ2eGu/s400/huston+on+set.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Huston</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkA3-EcuYb5up0GL5fxefQfxeKwO2K-3gvvdCWYP0LnBK0-df8XGWwM4R708IMnyYI9Yudqqg2dEFKWNzpgPD0g3zL5MakZIzkMkIlBjUpYuIC2XpogRwuvYv6MuRCpiaeg4kU7FwIH6U/s1600/Ava+Gardner+gorgeous+youth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkA3-EcuYb5up0GL5fxefQfxeKwO2K-3gvvdCWYP0LnBK0-df8XGWwM4R708IMnyYI9Yudqqg2dEFKWNzpgPD0g3zL5MakZIzkMkIlBjUpYuIC2XpogRwuvYv6MuRCpiaeg4kU7FwIH6U/s200/Ava+Gardner+gorgeous+youth.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very young Ava Gardner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Ava Gardner’s Maxine Faulk was a departure from the character as written by Williams and portrayed on the stage. Warmer and softer, Ava’s Maxine personified the “openness and freedom of the sea” Williams had envisioned, but lacked the man-eating qualities of the original. Huston, who felt Williams’ Maxine became far too devouring by the play's end, was responsible for these changes. Ava <span id="goog_1232263459"></span><span id="goog_1232263460"></span>Gardner later recalled that Tennessee was never entirely happy about Huston’s tinkering with the character but she also noted, “…anyone seeing the film knows that John’s choice was the only one that fit.” And Gardner committed herself fully to her role. In an earthy, raucous performance, she allowed herself to appear casual to the point of dishevelment. Clad in a loose serape and toreador pants through much of the film, she had lines penciled in under her eyes and her hair tied back into a loose ponytail to de-emphasize her glorious good looks. During filming, Kerr recorded a comment of Huston's that for Ava it may have been a real disadvantage to be so beautiful, "...it has made her appear publicly as someone she is not, and in her work has made her appear the kind of actress she is not." </span><span style="font-size: small;">For this performance Ava Gardner received the best reviews of her film career. Reflecting in her memoirs she wrote, “I have only one rule in acting – trust the director and give him heart and soul. And the director I trusted most of all was John Huston. Working with him gave me the only real joy I’ve ever had in movies.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FAl4nQmnkZnc3CVIV2V2CaJr8pY1CBOkJn-ULhVU6uJVp21KWBch4yYyZmVqZeu9LE1OhlOdWgdM8qYteb_0xF0Wg0ab5qbfQBGEeY4k6_BB9T9qpJxm-kXEtWE72PHlS6z7JCRwmYLn/s1600/ava+and+deborah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FAl4nQmnkZnc3CVIV2V2CaJr8pY1CBOkJn-ULhVU6uJVp21KWBch4yYyZmVqZeu9LE1OhlOdWgdM8qYteb_0xF0Wg0ab5qbfQBGEeY4k6_BB9T9qpJxm-kXEtWE72PHlS6z7JCRwmYLn/s400/ava+and+deborah.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1232263433"></span><span id="goog_1232263434"></span>Hannah Jelks is an intriguing entry in Deborah Kerr's filmography. Kerr portrayed sensitive ladies of delicacy and reserve to perfection, but Hannah was slightly different, a "Thin-Standing-up-Female-Buddha," in Tennessee Williams' words. Down-on-her-luck, adrift in Mexico and living by her wits and intuition, the spinster has only her remaining dignity, the care of her 97-year-old grandfather and her paintbox to keep her going.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As the international press descended on the set, Kerr admitted that she was beginning to "feel more and more like Hannah in this movie." Reporters insisted on quizzing her for 'dirt' on Burton, Taylor and others, and, in her diary, she quoted Hannah's sentiments, "Nothing human disgusts me unless it is unkind or violent." Kerr added, "I do loathe and detest unkindness and violence and gossip and troublemaking and envy and malice."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On the day filming of <i>The Night of the Iguana</i> ended in late 1963, Deborah Kerr put down her thoughts in her journal, "It's funny how you get so close to a bunch of people on a movie. It is constant making and breaking of emotional relationships - some of the people you work with and get to know so closely, you may never see again." An interesting reflection, coming on the heels, as it did, of completing a film about the redemptive power of human connection.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was on an evening in 1940 while in Mexico, that Tennessee Williams watched the sun set on a tree of golden lemons. He would later write a poem about it that provided inspiration for the story that became a play and then a film.  The poem was revised slightly and incorporated into <i>The Night of the Iguana</i>.  Here, Cyril <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Delevanti, who portrayed Nonno in the film, recites the verse popularly known as <span style="color: blue;">"</span><a href="http://youtu.be/8eW6v7zoUNk" style="color: blue;">Nonno's Poem</a><span style="color: blue;">"</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> (click title to view). </span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKApfhg3kQ98LKYcU8zOJiNGeHVRjT3eFquEGNCdrj21NYVvaaOmdtlH7IysTagp4X-pYauw8lfrCYQluJGQdxdV_p_AizNls7vRL-I_4O36GVxDkern2wPoKkWdW9h6eSWlcbDAJpKQ0/s1600/hannah+and+nonno+arrive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKApfhg3kQ98LKYcU8zOJiNGeHVRjT3eFquEGNCdrj21NYVvaaOmdtlH7IysTagp4X-pYauw8lfrCYQluJGQdxdV_p_AizNls7vRL-I_4O36GVxDkern2wPoKkWdW9h6eSWlcbDAJpKQ0/s400/hannah+and+nonno+arrive.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyril Delevanti and Deborah Kerr</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John Huston spent many, many years of his life in Mexico, and was living not far from Mismaloya, in Las Caletas, while working on his autobiography in the late 1970s. Sixteen years had passed since the making of <i>The Night of the Iguana</i> and the location site was now deserted. All that remained were the ruins of the buildings constructed for his film. Huston wrote, "No one - other than an old man who passes there on an occasional trip between Las Caletas and Vallarta - seems to give a damn what happens to the place. He would like to see it torn down and given back to the iguanas. The old man is me of course."</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyarEYIRxOur8BW2E-nPTbAxPkyNQT1uiWq-DIvsnbVc3BHCKJ5rv5X3-bXfnxFv0Winr-_YWp9NtgO45zrUJ31wvtKqIJMVRa7eiYuh_XREEGYLZyK48uWlzHPN5LSXBHJTL833zNb_Q/s1600/huston+living+in+Mexico+1979.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyarEYIRxOur8BW2E-nPTbAxPkyNQT1uiWq-DIvsnbVc3BHCKJ5rv5X3-bXfnxFv0Winr-_YWp9NtgO45zrUJ31wvtKqIJMVRa7eiYuh_XREEGYLZyK48uWlzHPN5LSXBHJTL833zNb_Q/s400/huston+living+in+Mexico+1979.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Huston in Las Caletas, 1979</td></tr></tbody></table><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">...I was at the</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Hotel Costa Verde <span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="color: #38761d;">over the rain-forest and the still-water beach</span> </span>which were the off-stage background for </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Night of the Iguana</span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">.</span></i><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">~ Tennessee Williams, </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Memoirs </span></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><u>Sources</u></b>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>An Open Book </i>by John Huston, McMillan (1980)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Ava: My Story</i> by Ava Gardner, Bantam (1990)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis</i> by Ed Sikov, Henry Holt (2007)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Deborah Kerr Personal Collection</i>: <a href="http://www.deborahkerr.es/" style="color: #cc0000;">http://www.deborahkerr.es</a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>

Ava Gardner Cyril Delevanti Deborah Kerr John Huston Laurence Olivier Ray Stark Richard Burton TCM Tennessee Williams The Lady Eve (author) The Night of the Iguana Wim Wenders Wings of Desire Over the Rain-Forest and the Still Water Beach

Abandoned movie set, Mismaloya, Mexico: photo courtesy of TripAdvisor The programmers at Turner Classic Movies may not have planned the sche...

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