In a commentary track on a "Futurama" DVD, voice actor Billy West reveals that his voice for Dr. Zoidberg -- the clueless, revolting, dumpster-dwelling lobster medic -- was partially inspired by 1940s Hollywood impresario George Jessel, one of the producers on the original "Nightmare Alley" and an actor in films such as "Four Jills in a Jeep" and the bawdy 1969 Anthony Newley musical "Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?" When series creator Matt Groening incredulously asks West how he knows who George Jessel is, West shoots back with his own age (West was born in 1952).
Fun trivia: Eddie Cantor once joked that his gravestone should be inscribed with the poem "Here in nature's arms I nestle, free at last from Georgie Jessel." Jessel, not to be outdone by the burn, was actually buried next to Cantor.
The writers of "Futurama" likely didn't know that Jessel inspired the voice of Dr.
Fun trivia: Eddie Cantor once joked that his gravestone should be inscribed with the poem "Here in nature's arms I nestle, free at last from Georgie Jessel." Jessel, not to be outdone by the burn, was actually buried next to Cantor.
The writers of "Futurama" likely didn't know that Jessel inspired the voice of Dr.
- 8/30/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
I’ve listened to many podcasts during the long upstate winter and one of my favorites has been Karina Longworth’s You Must Remember This. It’s billed as a storytelling podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. I enjoy it because Longworth spins great yarns, with vivid insights, about Hollywood stars and their careers.
But I think there’s more to why it’s popular and why I enjoy it so much. I’m starting to realize that the inevitable ups and downs of yesteryear’s Hollywood Stars are analogous to the rollercoaster rides that categorize so many of today’s careers.
It’s astounding to hear about how a legendary star’s career might have floundered at one point, only to do a complete 360 as he or she gets cast in a successful blockbuster movie. Thundering successes and crushing failures become the...
But I think there’s more to why it’s popular and why I enjoy it so much. I’m starting to realize that the inevitable ups and downs of yesteryear’s Hollywood Stars are analogous to the rollercoaster rides that categorize so many of today’s careers.
It’s astounding to hear about how a legendary star’s career might have floundered at one point, only to do a complete 360 as he or she gets cast in a successful blockbuster movie. Thundering successes and crushing failures become the...
- 4/24/2017
- by Ed Catto
- Comicmix.com
I’ve listened to many podcasts during the long upstate winter and one of my favorites has been Karina Longworth’s You Must Remember This. It’s billed as a storytelling podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. I enjoy it because Longworth spins great yarns, with vivid insights, about Hollywood stars and their careers.
But I think there’s more to why it’s popular and why I enjoy it so much. I’m starting to realize that the inevitable ups and downs of yesteryear’s Hollywood Stars are analogous to the rollercoaster rides that categorize so many of today’s careers.
It’s astounding to hear about how a legendary star’s career might have floundered at one point, only to do a complete 360 as he or she gets cast in a successful blockbuster movie. Thundering successes and crushing failures become the...
But I think there’s more to why it’s popular and why I enjoy it so much. I’m starting to realize that the inevitable ups and downs of yesteryear’s Hollywood Stars are analogous to the rollercoaster rides that categorize so many of today’s careers.
It’s astounding to hear about how a legendary star’s career might have floundered at one point, only to do a complete 360 as he or she gets cast in a successful blockbuster movie. Thundering successes and crushing failures become the...
- 4/24/2017
- by Ed Catto
- Comicmix.com
Constance Cummings: Actress in minor Hollywood movies became major London stage star. Constance Cummings: Actress went from Harold Lloyd and Frank Capra to Noël Coward and Eugene O'Neill Actress Constance Cummings, whose career spanned more than six decades on stage, in films, and on television in both the U.S. and the U.K., died ten years ago on Nov. 23. Unlike other Broadway imports such as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, and Claudette Colbert, the pretty, elegant Cummings – who could have been turned into a less edgy Constance Bennett had she landed at Rko or Paramount instead of Columbia – never became a Hollywood star. In fact, her most acclaimed work, whether in films or – more frequently – on stage, was almost invariably found in British productions. That's most likely why the name Constance Cummings – despite the DVD availability of several of her best-received performances – is all but forgotten.
- 11/4/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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