Betty Gilpin in Mrs. Davis (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/Peacock) Background: Sally Field in The Flying Nun (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images), Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act (Afro Newspaper/Gado/Contributor), Black Narcissus (John Kobal Foundation/Contributor), Siobahn McSweeney in Derry Girls (Netflix...
- 5/18/2023
- by Drew Gillis
- avclub.com
Margie Duncan, a dancer and actress who stood in for her dear friend Debbie Reynolds in films including The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Second Time Around and The Singing Nun, has died. She was 92.
Duncan died Jan. 3 after a brief illness at her Porter Ranch home in Los Angeles, her family announced.
Duncan worked with choreographers in the movies to learn Reynolds’ routines, “dancing in” during blocking and rehearsals until the numbers were set. She would then teach the routines to her friend.
In the musical comedy The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), for which Reynolds received her lone Oscar nomination, Duncan rehearsed the number “Ain’t Down Yet,” which took place in the barnyard of Molly’s (Reynolds) country home, with choreographer Peter Gennaro.
Duncan jumped on the top of a shed to sing the last verse while walking backward down its thatched roof and then back up, finishing at the front of the roof.
Duncan died Jan. 3 after a brief illness at her Porter Ranch home in Los Angeles, her family announced.
Duncan worked with choreographers in the movies to learn Reynolds’ routines, “dancing in” during blocking and rehearsals until the numbers were set. She would then teach the routines to her friend.
In the musical comedy The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), for which Reynolds received her lone Oscar nomination, Duncan rehearsed the number “Ain’t Down Yet,” which took place in the barnyard of Molly’s (Reynolds) country home, with choreographer Peter Gennaro.
Duncan jumped on the top of a shed to sing the last verse while walking backward down its thatched roof and then back up, finishing at the front of the roof.
- 1/25/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The always delightful Doctor Z hangs with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante while discussing a few of his favorite monkey movies.
Dr. Z – Tmtmm Pod Mentions
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Planet of the Apes (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Beneath The Planet of the Apes (1970) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Escape From The Planet of the Apes (1971)
Battle For The Planet of the Apes (1973) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Schindler’s List (1993)
Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Godzilla (1954) – Don Coscarelli’s trailer commentary
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Stalag 17 (1953)
In The Heat Of The Night (1967) – Michael Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
King Kong Escapes (1967)
Murders In The Rue Morgue (1932)
The Sorrow And The Pity (1972)
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
It Came From Beneath The Sea...
Dr. Z – Tmtmm Pod Mentions
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Planet of the Apes (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Beneath The Planet of the Apes (1970) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Escape From The Planet of the Apes (1971)
Battle For The Planet of the Apes (1973) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Schindler’s List (1993)
Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Godzilla (1954) – Don Coscarelli’s trailer commentary
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Stalag 17 (1953)
In The Heat Of The Night (1967) – Michael Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
King Kong Escapes (1967)
Murders In The Rue Morgue (1932)
The Sorrow And The Pity (1972)
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
It Came From Beneath The Sea...
- 6/15/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
“Two smoldering women made all the danger worthwhile!”… heck, we didn’t even see ’em catch fire. John Wayne is charismatic and Andrew V. McLaglen’s direction is decent for once in this formulaic ‘easy listening’ pot-boiler from the Wayne school of laid-back ’60s entertainment. After winning the Vietnam War, our intrepid action man extinguishes 101 out-of-control oil fires, which appear to happen every twenty minutes. When nothing’s burning, there are plenty of domestic tangles to straighten out with the womenfolk. In support are Katharine Ross, Jim Hutton, Vera Miles, Bruce Cabot and Jay C. Flippen. It’s old-fashioned but not embarrassing — Wayne still has his charm.
Hellfighters
Blu-ray
Mill Creek
1968 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date May 4, 2021 / Available from Mill Creek Entertainment / 19.99
Starring: John Wayne, Katharine Ross, Jim Hutton, Vera Miles, Jay C. Flippen, Bruce Cabot, Edward Faulkner, Barbara Stuart, Edmund Hashim, Valentin de Vargas, Frances Fong, Alberto Morin,...
Hellfighters
Blu-ray
Mill Creek
1968 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date May 4, 2021 / Available from Mill Creek Entertainment / 19.99
Starring: John Wayne, Katharine Ross, Jim Hutton, Vera Miles, Jay C. Flippen, Bruce Cabot, Edward Faulkner, Barbara Stuart, Edmund Hashim, Valentin de Vargas, Frances Fong, Alberto Morin,...
- 5/29/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Tony Sokol Sep 6, 2019
The film Yesterday imagines a world where the Beatles never existed. But what might have filled the gap?
In Danny Boyle's film Yesterday, a struggling young musician played by Jack Malik suffers an accident at exactly the same moment a major power surge burns all evidence of former skiffle group the Beatles out of the collective memory of the masses. Only the musician remembers the songs, the stories, and the band's place in the history of popular music. The film, however, is still set in a world where the culture that was shaped by the influence of four relatively working class musicians from a port city remained curiously intact. The Rolling Stones are still around; so is Childish Gambino, thank the gods of music. But Oasis doesn't come up on Google searches when partnered with “Wonderwall.” We can assume there was no Squeeze, Electric Light Orchestra,...
The film Yesterday imagines a world where the Beatles never existed. But what might have filled the gap?
In Danny Boyle's film Yesterday, a struggling young musician played by Jack Malik suffers an accident at exactly the same moment a major power surge burns all evidence of former skiffle group the Beatles out of the collective memory of the masses. Only the musician remembers the songs, the stories, and the band's place in the history of popular music. The film, however, is still set in a world where the culture that was shaped by the influence of four relatively working class musicians from a port city remained curiously intact. The Rolling Stones are still around; so is Childish Gambino, thank the gods of music. But Oasis doesn't come up on Google searches when partnered with “Wonderwall.” We can assume there was no Squeeze, Electric Light Orchestra,...
- 9/5/2019
- Den of Geek
Happy! leans even further into the depravity fans know and love it for, but at what cost to the story?
This Happy! review contains no spoilers.
When Syfy decided to transform Grant Morrison’s Happy! comic book series into a TV show, many were understandably taken aback. Not because of the graph novel’s intensely violent and crude subject matter (which the first season unabashedly dove head-first into), but for the length. The limited series ran for only four issues. The first season of Happy!, meanwhile, consisted of eight hour-long episodes. How the hell does that work?
Depending on who you ask, it either does or doesn’t. But Syfy and the show’s fans were happy enough with the result, which is why Happy! is back for a second season consisting of yet another eight episodes. This time, however, Morrison, executive producer and director Brian Taylor, writer and associate...
This Happy! review contains no spoilers.
When Syfy decided to transform Grant Morrison’s Happy! comic book series into a TV show, many were understandably taken aback. Not because of the graph novel’s intensely violent and crude subject matter (which the first season unabashedly dove head-first into), but for the length. The limited series ran for only four issues. The first season of Happy!, meanwhile, consisted of eight hour-long episodes. How the hell does that work?
Depending on who you ask, it either does or doesn’t. But Syfy and the show’s fans were happy enough with the result, which is why Happy! is back for a second season consisting of yet another eight episodes. This time, however, Morrison, executive producer and director Brian Taylor, writer and associate...
- 3/25/2019
- Den of Geek
“The Nun,” a prequel to “The Conjuring” series of horror films, finds a young nun traveling to Romania to investigate a demon that has potentially latched itself onto a nun. With that premise, things are bound to get a little crazy. Of course, there’s a long history in film of taking chaste, pious women who have become nuns on film and testing their resolve, of taken their faith to wild extremes, or playing on that goodness for comedy. Say a few rosaries and check out these nun movies.
“Sister Act” (1992)
Whoopi Goldberg goes into the witness protection program and winds up a jump-roping, gospel singing, foul-mouthed nun with Maggie Smith looking down her nose at her in “Sister Act.” The film made an ungodly sum as the sixth highest grossing movie of the year and spawned a sequel.
“Black Narcissus” (1947)
Powell & Pressburger’s 1947 drama is about as lush and...
“Sister Act” (1992)
Whoopi Goldberg goes into the witness protection program and winds up a jump-roping, gospel singing, foul-mouthed nun with Maggie Smith looking down her nose at her in “Sister Act.” The film made an ungodly sum as the sixth highest grossing movie of the year and spawned a sequel.
“Black Narcissus” (1947)
Powell & Pressburger’s 1947 drama is about as lush and...
- 9/7/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Christian movies: Starring Nicolas Cage, the widely panned 2014 apocalyptic thriller 'Left Behind' was a box office bomb – unlike (relatively) recent popular 'faith movies' such as 'Heaven Is for Real,' 'Son of God' and 'War Room.' A thought on the New Christian American Cinema: Tired of the blatant propaganda found in 'mainstream' Christian movies Two films that might be called “Christian movies” opened last week, and I decided that I wouldn't watch them, write about them, or review them – at least directly. I'm not even going to mention their titles here because I don't promote propaganda films, and that's what this recent advent of Christian movies has become: propaganda. After all, since nearly all American cinema is Christian cinema, the New Christian American Cinema is in fact pure propaganda – not cinema. Worse yet, it bores me. So, here's the thing about what we've come to call...
- 4/14/2017
- by Tim Cogshell
- Alt Film Guide
No Highway in the Sky
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 99 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring : James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Janette Scott, Niall MacGinnis, Kenneth More, Ronald Squire, Elizabeth Allan, Jill Clifford, Felix Aylmer, Dora Bryan, Maurice Denham, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Bessie Love, Karel Stepanek.
Cinematography: Georges Périnal
Film Editor: Manuel del Campo
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Written by: R.C. Sherriff, Oscar Millard, Alec Coppel from the novel by Nevil Shute
Produced by: Louis D. Lighton
Directed by Henry Koster
A few years back, whenever a desired title came up on list for a Fox, Columbia or Warners’ Mod (made-on-demand) DVD, my first reaction was disappointment: we really want to see our favorites released in the better disc format, Blu-ray. But things have changed. As Mod announcements thin out, we have seen an explosion of library titles remastered in HD.
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 99 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring : James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Janette Scott, Niall MacGinnis, Kenneth More, Ronald Squire, Elizabeth Allan, Jill Clifford, Felix Aylmer, Dora Bryan, Maurice Denham, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Bessie Love, Karel Stepanek.
Cinematography: Georges Périnal
Film Editor: Manuel del Campo
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Written by: R.C. Sherriff, Oscar Millard, Alec Coppel from the novel by Nevil Shute
Produced by: Louis D. Lighton
Directed by Henry Koster
A few years back, whenever a desired title came up on list for a Fox, Columbia or Warners’ Mod (made-on-demand) DVD, my first reaction was disappointment: we really want to see our favorites released in the better disc format, Blu-ray. But things have changed. As Mod announcements thin out, we have seen an explosion of library titles remastered in HD.
- 1/21/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds were honored with a short but poignant tribute at the Golden Globes Sunday.
The video featured short snippets from throughout Fisher and Reynolds' famed careers, including shots of the former in Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally and even a guest appearance on 30 Rock. Reynolds, meanwhile, was honored with shots of her cutting a rug in Singing In the Rain, starring alongside Frank Sinatra in The Tender Trap and scooting around on a Vespa in The Singing Nun – a clip juxtaposed perfectly with Fisher on...
The video featured short snippets from throughout Fisher and Reynolds' famed careers, including shots of the former in Star Wars, When Harry Met Sally and even a guest appearance on 30 Rock. Reynolds, meanwhile, was honored with shots of her cutting a rug in Singing In the Rain, starring alongside Frank Sinatra in The Tender Trap and scooting around on a Vespa in The Singing Nun – a clip juxtaposed perfectly with Fisher on...
- 1/9/2017
- Rollingstone.com
2016 claimed a long list of entertainers, but the grim reaper’s most unexpected one-two punch came between the final two holidays with the death of movie icons Carrie Fisher on December 12 and her mother Debbie Reynolds a mere 36 hours later. With the premiere of the documentary about the pair, “Bright Lights” on HBO this weekend, we at the Geeks site thought we should take a look at their considerable contributions to film.
Let’s start with Carrie, who was born in Hollywood, USA on October 21, 1956, the daughter of Debbie and singer/actor Eddie Fisher. She appeared on stage with her mother throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s, even getting her first small screen credit in the 1969 TV movie “Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children”. It wasn’t until 1975, when she would make her big screen debut opposite Warren Beatty (quite an arrival) in Hal Ashby’s hit Shampoo.
Let’s start with Carrie, who was born in Hollywood, USA on October 21, 1956, the daughter of Debbie and singer/actor Eddie Fisher. She appeared on stage with her mother throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s, even getting her first small screen credit in the 1969 TV movie “Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children”. It wasn’t until 1975, when she would make her big screen debut opposite Warren Beatty (quite an arrival) in Hal Ashby’s hit Shampoo.
- 1/8/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more beloved mother/daughter duo than Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, who tragically passed away within a day of each other this week: Fisher at the age of 60 on December 27, Reynolds at 84 on the 28th. A bevy of tributes to the two will air over the course of the next month.
Read More: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher: HBO Mourns With Emotional Emails, While Finding Release Date for Their Mother-Daughter Documentary
Reaction to the painfully sad news was so swift, in fact, that two networks have already honored the departed stars: ABC played an hour-long “20/20” special called “Debbie and Carrie: A Hollywood Love Story” last night, while Logo began its tribute with a “Will & Grace” marathon last night. Reynolds earned an Emmy nomination for playing Debra Messing’s mother on the sitcom, which is currently playing on the channel for three more...
Read More: Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher: HBO Mourns With Emotional Emails, While Finding Release Date for Their Mother-Daughter Documentary
Reaction to the painfully sad news was so swift, in fact, that two networks have already honored the departed stars: ABC played an hour-long “20/20” special called “Debbie and Carrie: A Hollywood Love Story” last night, while Logo began its tribute with a “Will & Grace” marathon last night. Reynolds earned an Emmy nomination for playing Debra Messing’s mother on the sitcom, which is currently playing on the channel for three more...
- 12/31/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
As hoped, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will pay tribute to the late, great Debbie Reynolds with a marathon of her finest performances, including her Oscar-nominated turn as The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
RelatedDebbie Reynolds Dead at 84, Day After Daughter Carrie Fisher’s Passing
Previously, Logo put together a two-day marathon of Reynolds-centric fare (starting today and including her entire Will & Grace run), while HBO has fast-tracked Bright Lights, a docu about Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher, to premiere this Sunday.
Reynolds passed away on Dec. 28, after suffering a stroke in the wake of Fisher’s own death the day prior.
RelatedDebbie Reynolds Dead at 84, Day After Daughter Carrie Fisher’s Passing
Previously, Logo put together a two-day marathon of Reynolds-centric fare (starting today and including her entire Will & Grace run), while HBO has fast-tracked Bright Lights, a docu about Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher, to premiere this Sunday.
Reynolds passed away on Dec. 28, after suffering a stroke in the wake of Fisher’s own death the day prior.
- 12/30/2016
- TVLine.com
Debbie Reynolds, who died on Wednesday at the age of 84, was one of the last icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Throughout her nearly seven decade career, Reynolds made a name for herself as a triple-threat singer, dancer, and actor — with roles in big-screen MGM musicals and Broadway shows. She was also chart-topping recording artist and dynamic live performer, who toured the country for years as a night club entertainer.
Music was an inescapable part of Reynolds career. Here are 11 of her best musical moments.
“Aba Daba Honeymoon” (1950)
Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan’s “Aba Daba Honeymoon” was first recorded...
Throughout her nearly seven decade career, Reynolds made a name for herself as a triple-threat singer, dancer, and actor — with roles in big-screen MGM musicals and Broadway shows. She was also chart-topping recording artist and dynamic live performer, who toured the country for years as a night club entertainer.
Music was an inescapable part of Reynolds career. Here are 11 of her best musical moments.
“Aba Daba Honeymoon” (1950)
Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan’s “Aba Daba Honeymoon” was first recorded...
- 12/29/2016
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Debbie Reynolds died at the age of 84 on Wednesday, just one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
The legendary singer and actress was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday after suffering a possible stroke.
One of the most iconic stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Reynolds starred in a number of memorable roles, including that of Kathy Selden in the beloved 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain, and that of Molly Brown in 1964’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which earned her an Oscar nomination.
Kathy Selden – Singin’ in the Rain
Reynolds nabbed her first leading role at age 19, playing Kathy Selden,...
The legendary singer and actress was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday after suffering a possible stroke.
One of the most iconic stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Reynolds starred in a number of memorable roles, including that of Kathy Selden in the beloved 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain, and that of Molly Brown in 1964’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which earned her an Oscar nomination.
Kathy Selden – Singin’ in the Rain
Reynolds nabbed her first leading role at age 19, playing Kathy Selden,...
- 12/29/2016
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Screen icon Debbie Reynolds has died at the age of 84. The news comes just one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, 60, died of a heart attack.
Reynolds was thinking of her daughter in her final moments. “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie,” she said shortly before passing, her son Todd told TMZ.
Reynolds was at her and Fisher’s property when she had to be rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke on Wednesday afternoon, People confirmed .
On Tuesday, Reynolds had taken to social media to thank fans for their support in the...
Reynolds was thinking of her daughter in her final moments. “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie,” she said shortly before passing, her son Todd told TMZ.
Reynolds was at her and Fisher’s property when she had to be rushed to the hospital for a possible stroke on Wednesday afternoon, People confirmed .
On Tuesday, Reynolds had taken to social media to thank fans for their support in the...
- 12/29/2016
- by alexisloinazpeople
- PEOPLE.com
The man whose 100-plus film and TV credits include voicing Yukon Cornelius in the holiday TV classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and playing the train conductor in Best Picture Oscar winner The Sting died Monday in Los Angeles. Larry D. Mann was 91. The Toronto native got his start on Canadian TV and went on to appear on classic shows ranging from Howdy Doody to MacGyver. In between, his dozens of TV appearances included 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, Get Smart, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Hogan’s Heroes, Bewitched, Green Acres, Gunsmoke, Quincy M.E., The Dukes Of Hazzard and recurring as a judge on Hill Street Blues. His big-screen credits include The Quick And The Dead, Robin And The 7 Hoods, The Singing Nun, In The Heat Of The Night and The Octogon.
- 1/8/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Oscar-nominated actor who brought sensitivity and warmth to her most famous role in Imitation of Life
From its earliest days, Hollywood, which has always lagged behind wider social advances, limited the roles of black actors to stock, wide-eyed cowards, simpletons or servants, often referred to as "uncles" and "mammies". Juanita Moore, who has died aged 99, suffered from this limitation by having to play maids throughout most of her long career. However, Moore could have echoed what Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award, once said: "Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one."
Where McDaniel as Mammy, Scarlett O'Hara's lovable, sassy servant in Gone With the Wind (1939) was the apotheosis of the black maid, Moore's Oscar-nominated portrayal of Annie Johnson, housekeeper to the glamorous Broadway star Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) in Douglas Sirk...
From its earliest days, Hollywood, which has always lagged behind wider social advances, limited the roles of black actors to stock, wide-eyed cowards, simpletons or servants, often referred to as "uncles" and "mammies". Juanita Moore, who has died aged 99, suffered from this limitation by having to play maids throughout most of her long career. However, Moore could have echoed what Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award, once said: "Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one."
Where McDaniel as Mammy, Scarlett O'Hara's lovable, sassy servant in Gone With the Wind (1939) was the apotheosis of the black maid, Moore's Oscar-nominated portrayal of Annie Johnson, housekeeper to the glamorous Broadway star Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) in Douglas Sirk...
- 1/3/2014
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
The actor who was Oscar-nominated for her role alongside Lana Turner in Douglas Sirk's 1959 melodrama has died at home
Juanita Moore, the Oscar-nominated star of Imitation of Life, has died at the age of 99. The actor, who played alongside Lana Turner in Douglas Sirk's 1959 race drama, died at home, according to her grandson, actor Kirk Kelleykahn.
In Imitation of Life, Moore played a black single mother who befriends Turner's character, a widow whose dreams of becoming a Broadway star are complicated by her responsibility for her own young child. Susan Kohner, who played Moore's daughter Sarah Jane as a teenager in the film, told The Hollywood Reporter that Moore was "a lovely human being with a wonderful sense of humour".
Both Kohner and Moore were nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar in 1959. Moore was only the fifth black woman to be nominated for the award. She lost out to Shelley Winters,...
Juanita Moore, the Oscar-nominated star of Imitation of Life, has died at the age of 99. The actor, who played alongside Lana Turner in Douglas Sirk's 1959 race drama, died at home, according to her grandson, actor Kirk Kelleykahn.
In Imitation of Life, Moore played a black single mother who befriends Turner's character, a widow whose dreams of becoming a Broadway star are complicated by her responsibility for her own young child. Susan Kohner, who played Moore's daughter Sarah Jane as a teenager in the film, told The Hollywood Reporter that Moore was "a lovely human being with a wonderful sense of humour".
Both Kohner and Moore were nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar in 1959. Moore was only the fifth black woman to be nominated for the award. She lost out to Shelley Winters,...
- 1/2/2014
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Oscar-nominated ‘Imitation of Life’ actress Juanita Moore has died Juanita Moore, Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominee for the 1959 blockbuster Imitation of Life, died on New Year’s Day 2014 at her home in Los Angeles. According to various online sources, Juanita Moore (born on October 19, 1922) was 91; her step-grandson, actor Kirk Kahn, said she was 99. (Photo: Juanita Moore in the late ’50s. See also: Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner photos at the 50th anniversary screening of Imitation of Life at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.) Juanita Moore movies The Los Angeles-born Juanita Moore began her show business career as a chorus girl at New York City’s Cotton Club. According to the IMDb, Moore was an extra/bit player in a trio of films of the ’40s, including Vincente Minnelli’s all-black musical Cabin in the Sky (1942) and Elia Kazan’s socially conscious melodrama Pinky (1949), in which Jeanne Crain plays a (very,...
- 1/2/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Juanita Moore, a groundbreaking actress and an Academy Award nominee for her role as Lana Turner’s black friend in the classic weeper Imitation of Life, has died.
Actor Kirk Kelleykahn, her grandson, said that Moore collapsed and died Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99, according to Kelleykahn. Accounts of her age have differed over the years.
Moore was only the fifth black performer to be nominated for an Oscar, receiving the nod for the glossy Douglas Sirk film that became a big hit and later gained a cult following. The 1959 tearjerker, based on a Fannie Hurst...
Actor Kirk Kelleykahn, her grandson, said that Moore collapsed and died Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99, according to Kelleykahn. Accounts of her age have differed over the years.
Moore was only the fifth black performer to be nominated for an Oscar, receiving the nod for the glossy Douglas Sirk film that became a big hit and later gained a cult following. The 1959 tearjerker, based on a Fannie Hurst...
- 1/1/2014
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside Movies
Deanna Durbin: Ephemeral fame (photo: Deanna Durbin in 1981) [See previous post: "Deanna Durbin: 'Sweet Monster.'"] Unlike Greta Garbo, whose mystique remained basically intact following her retirement in 1941, Deanna Durbin’s popularity faded away much like that of the vast majority of celebrities who were removed — or who chose to remove themselves — from public view. Despite the advent of home video and classic-movie cable channels, Durbin remains virtually unknown to the vast majority of those who weren’t around in her heyday in the ’30s and ’40s. Yet, although relatively few in number, she continues to have her ardent fans. There are a handful of websites devoted to Deanna Durbin and her film and recording careers, chiefly among them the appropriately titled "Deanna Durbin Devotees." Fade Out Charles David, Deanna Durbin’s husband of 48 years, died in March 1999, at the age of 92; Institut Pasteur medical researcher Peter H. David is their only son. Durbin also had a daughter,...
- 5/7/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Warner Archive Collection 4th anniversary DVD / Blu-ray releases The Warner Archive Collection (aka Wac), which currently has a DVD / Blu-ray library consisting of approximately 1,500 titles, has just turned four. In celebration of its fourth anniversary, Wac is releasing with movies featuring the likes of Jane Powell, Eleanor Parker, and many more stars and filmmakers of yesteryear. (Pictured above: Greer Garson, Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban in the sentimental 1966 comedy / drama with music The Singing Nun.) For starters, Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds play siblings in Richard Thorpe's Athena (1954), whose supporting cast includes Edmund Purdom, Vic Damone, frequent Jerry Lewis foil Kathleen Freeman, Citizen Kane's Ray Collins, Tyrone Power's then-wife Linda Christian, former Mr. Universe and future Hercules Steve Reeves, veteran Louis Calhern, not to mention numerology, astrology, and vegetarianism. As per Wac's newsletter, the score by Hugh Martin and Martin Blane "gets a first ever Stereophonic Sound remix for this disc,...
- 3/27/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Chad Everett, the classically handsome actor remembered for playing thoracic surgeon Dr. Joe Gannon on the 11969-76 CBS drama Medical Center, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home, reports the Los Angeles Times. He was 75 and had battled lung cancer the past year and a half, one of his daughters told the Associated Press. Though the surgeon's scrubs fit him like a glove, Everett also had TV roles on The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Melrose Place, Cold Case, Supernatural and, most recently, the series Castle. His movies included The Singing Nun, Return of the Gunfighter, Airplane II: The Sequel,...
- 7/25/2012
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
Release Date: Dec. 13, 2011
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $27.99
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Classic musical Stars and Stripes Forever, finally on high-definition Blu-ray, isn’t one of the biggest musical films, like Irving Berlin’s White Christmas or Holiday Inn, but it has cache. Released in 1952, Stars and Stripes Forever was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy.
The movie is a biography of 19th century composer John Philip Sousa (played by Clifton Webb, The Man Who Never Was), who is the leader of the Marine Corps Band in the 1890s. There he meets Private Willie Little (Robert Wagner, TV’s Two and a Half Men), the inventor of an instrument called the Sousaphone, and Little’s girlfriend, showgirl Lily (Debra Paget, Cleopatra’s Daughter).
After Sousa leaves the Marines, the three form a band. Although Sousa would rather write ballads, his marches bring him fame and success.
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $27.99
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Classic musical Stars and Stripes Forever, finally on high-definition Blu-ray, isn’t one of the biggest musical films, like Irving Berlin’s White Christmas or Holiday Inn, but it has cache. Released in 1952, Stars and Stripes Forever was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy.
The movie is a biography of 19th century composer John Philip Sousa (played by Clifton Webb, The Man Who Never Was), who is the leader of the Marine Corps Band in the 1890s. There he meets Private Willie Little (Robert Wagner, TV’s Two and a Half Men), the inventor of an instrument called the Sousaphone, and Little’s girlfriend, showgirl Lily (Debra Paget, Cleopatra’s Daughter).
After Sousa leaves the Marines, the three form a band. Although Sousa would rather write ballads, his marches bring him fame and success.
- 11/3/2011
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Jean Hagen, Debbie Reynolds, Singin' in the Rain Debbie Reynolds on TCM: The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Singing Nun Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am The Affairs Of Dobie Gillis (1953) A lovesick teenager searches for romance at college. Dir: Don Weis. Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van, Barbara Ruick. Bw-73 mins. 7:15 Am I Love Melvin (1953) A photographer's assistant promises to turn a chorus girl into a cover girl. Dir: Don Weis. Cast: Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Una Merkel. C-77 mins. 8:45 Am The Tender Trap (1955) A swinging bachelor finds love when he meets a girl immune to his line. Dir: Charles Walters. Cast: Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, David Wayne. C-111 mins, Letterbox Format. 10:45 Am Bundle Of Joy (1956) A shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling. Dir: Norman Taurog. Cast: Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Adolphe Menjou. C-98 mins. 12:30 Pm Tammy And The Bachelor...
- 8/20/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Pert, pretty, multi-talented, actress-singer-dancer-Hollywood collector Debbie Reynolds is Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Day on Friday, August 18, as TCM continues its "Summer Under the Stars" series. TCM is presenting 13 Debbie Reynolds movies. [Debbie Reynolds Movie Schedule.] Fans of Gene Kelly's Singin' in the Rain (1952) will be able to watch the romantic comedy-musical for the 118th time. I'm not one of them; in fact, I much prefer Kelly and Stanley Donen's On the Town (1949), and I'd say that George Sidney's Show Boat (1951) and Donen's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) are my favorite musicals of the 1950s. But fan or no, there's much to enjoy in Singin' in the Rain, including Reynolds and Donald O'Connor's performances, several great songs from the 1920s, and Jean Hagen's high-pitched mix of Norma Talmadge, (the British) Mabel Poulton, and Corinne Griffith. The iconic "Singin' in the Rain" number is one of my least favorite...
- 8/20/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hollywood might be run by Scientologists these days, but the Catholics once called the shots, John Patterson reminds us
Jessica Hausner's new movie Lourdes, which revolves around what may or may not be a "take up thy bed and walk" kind of miracle, is the kind of movie about religious faith that you don't see coming out of Hollywood any more in these days of The Passion Of The Christ, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
Hollywood hasn't developed an anti-Catholic bias; it's just that the church was once so prominent in Hollywood it almost had to come to grief sooner or later, with or without the aid of its retrograde teachings on birth control and ongoing sexual abuse scandals.
The old canard goes that the Jews run Hollywood. And certainly the industry was founded by immigrant Jews, barred from the more salubrious professions by anti-semitic Wasps. But for three decades,...
Jessica Hausner's new movie Lourdes, which revolves around what may or may not be a "take up thy bed and walk" kind of miracle, is the kind of movie about religious faith that you don't see coming out of Hollywood any more in these days of The Passion Of The Christ, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
Hollywood hasn't developed an anti-Catholic bias; it's just that the church was once so prominent in Hollywood it almost had to come to grief sooner or later, with or without the aid of its retrograde teachings on birth control and ongoing sexual abuse scandals.
The old canard goes that the Jews run Hollywood. And certainly the industry was founded by immigrant Jews, barred from the more salubrious professions by anti-semitic Wasps. But for three decades,...
- 3/20/2010
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood writer John Furia Jr., famed for his work on scripts for TV favourites Bonanza and Hawaii Five-o , has died at the age of 79.
Bosses at the Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw), the union Furia was once president of, confirmed the news in a statement on Friday, although a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Furia began his career singing with bands in New York City before moving to California and becoming one of Hollywood's most prolific writers.
He wrote for TV series including The Twilight Zone and The Waltons as well as for the big screen, penning hits such as The Singing Nun, which starred Debbie Reynolds and Greer Garson.
Furia also helped found the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television Writing Division and even taught screen and television writing there.
Wgaw President Patric M. Verropne says, "John's character and dignity touched and influenced generations of writers from the founders of the Guild itself to the newest of student-associates."...
Bosses at the Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw), the union Furia was once president of, confirmed the news in a statement on Friday, although a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Furia began his career singing with bands in New York City before moving to California and becoming one of Hollywood's most prolific writers.
He wrote for TV series including The Twilight Zone and The Waltons as well as for the big screen, penning hits such as The Singing Nun, which starred Debbie Reynolds and Greer Garson.
Furia also helped found the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television Writing Division and even taught screen and television writing there.
Wgaw President Patric M. Verropne says, "John's character and dignity touched and influenced generations of writers from the founders of the Guild itself to the newest of student-associates."...
- 5/9/2009
- WENN
Hollywood writer John Furia Jr., famed for his work on scripts for TV favourites Bonanza and Hawaii Five-o , has died at the age of 79.
Bosses at the Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw), the union Furia was once president of, confirmed the news in a statement on Friday, although a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Furia began his career singing with bands in New York City before moving to California and becoming one of Hollywood's most prolific writers.
He wrote for TV series including The Twilight Zone and The Waltons as well as for the big screen, penning hits such as The Singing Nun, which starred Debbie Reynolds and Greer Garson.
Furia also helped found the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television Writing Division and even taught screen and television writing there.
Wgaw President Patric M. Verropne says, "John's character and dignity touched and influenced generations of writers from the founders of the Guild itself to the newest of student-associates."...
Bosses at the Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw), the union Furia was once president of, confirmed the news in a statement on Friday, although a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Furia began his career singing with bands in New York City before moving to California and becoming one of Hollywood's most prolific writers.
He wrote for TV series including The Twilight Zone and The Waltons as well as for the big screen, penning hits such as The Singing Nun, which starred Debbie Reynolds and Greer Garson.
Furia also helped found the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television Writing Division and even taught screen and television writing there.
Wgaw President Patric M. Verropne says, "John's character and dignity touched and influenced generations of writers from the founders of the Guild itself to the newest of student-associates."...
- 5/9/2009
- WENN
Following the sad news of the death of The Prisoner star Patrick McGoohan comes word that Ricardo Montalban – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’s titular villain – has passed away at the age of 88.The Mexican-born actor’s cause of death has not yet been announced.Born in Mexico City in 1920, Montalban was one of the first Hispanic actors to make a name for himself in Hollywood – despite this, and a string of Latin lover roles in the 40s and 50s, he also played a number of Japanese-born characters in his early career, including Nakamura in the Oscar-winning Sayonara.A smooth-talking, handsome man with a penchant for singing and dancing, Montalban wound up in a number of musicals in the 1950s and 1960s, including The Singing Nun, alongside Debbie Reynolds.The 60s also saw him create the role of the villainous, would-be despot Khan Noonien Singh in an episode...
- 1/15/2009
- EmpireOnline
Ricardo Montalban, who became a household name for his performance as the wish-granting Mr. Roarke on "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. The actor was 88.
Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.
Although he was best known as the charming Roarke on ABC's 1978-84 hit series, Montalban was also a gifted character actor who won an Emmy for his portrayal of a Sioux chief in the miniseries "How the West Was Won."
Montalban's suave manner and patriarchal dignity became his trademarks, and for a period in his late career, he served as the TV pitchman for Chrysler. His dignified intonation -- "rich Corinthian leather" with his regal rolling of the "R's" -- caught viewers' favor and was widely repeated.
Montalban could also play the most dastardly villains,...
Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.
Although he was best known as the charming Roarke on ABC's 1978-84 hit series, Montalban was also a gifted character actor who won an Emmy for his portrayal of a Sioux chief in the miniseries "How the West Was Won."
Montalban's suave manner and patriarchal dignity became his trademarks, and for a period in his late career, he served as the TV pitchman for Chrysler. His dignified intonation -- "rich Corinthian leather" with his regal rolling of the "R's" -- caught viewers' favor and was widely repeated.
Montalban could also play the most dastardly villains,...
- 1/14/2009
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No 41: Debbie Reynolds, 1932-
She was born in Texas, her father a railway carpenter, and raised in Los Angeles, a stone's throw from Warner Brothers, who signed her up at 16 but shortly thereafter let her go to MGM. Every studio had a roster of ingénues and girls-next-door, and she appeared in endless movies as a pert kid. Her 1955 marriage to Eddie Fisher made them the ideal couple of the Eisenhower years, though the idyll was smashed when he left her for Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds was one of the top 10 box-office stars in 1959, but her movie career soon went into decline. She was, however, to work regularly in TV and nightclubs and on stage way into her 60s.
She cites the saccharine The Singing Nun (1966), in which she played the wimpled Belgian singer "Soeur Sourire", as her favourite film. Yet in truth she only made three really memorable appearances, one...
She was born in Texas, her father a railway carpenter, and raised in Los Angeles, a stone's throw from Warner Brothers, who signed her up at 16 but shortly thereafter let her go to MGM. Every studio had a roster of ingénues and girls-next-door, and she appeared in endless movies as a pert kid. Her 1955 marriage to Eddie Fisher made them the ideal couple of the Eisenhower years, though the idyll was smashed when he left her for Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds was one of the top 10 box-office stars in 1959, but her movie career soon went into decline. She was, however, to work regularly in TV and nightclubs and on stage way into her 60s.
She cites the saccharine The Singing Nun (1966), in which she played the wimpled Belgian singer "Soeur Sourire", as her favourite film. Yet in truth she only made three really memorable appearances, one...
- 12/28/2008
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Considering the possibility that two actresses portraying nuns may reap Oscar bids this year (Meryl Streep, Amy Adams), let's look back at similar roles in the past. Twelve actresses have been nommed for portraying nuns. Two have won. Which one of the five famous roles shown below did not get nominated? To see the answer, Click Here! Answer: Debbie Reynolds was not nominated for "The Singing Nun" (1966). The 12 nun roles that received Oscar bids: Jennifer Jones ("The Song of Bernadette," 1943), Gladys Cooper ("The Song of Bernadette," 1943), Ingrid Bergman ("The Bells of St. Mary's," 1945), Loretta Young ("Come to the Stable," 1949), Celeste Holm ("Come to the Stable," 1949) Deborah Kerr ("Heaven...
- 12/21/2008
- by tomoneil
- Gold Derby
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