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Post by christine on Feb 28, 2024 18:42:30 GMT
Loved him in OKLAHOMA! and of course ROMAN HOLIDAY. He played with Dean Martin in WHO'S GOT THE ACTION? (1962), also with Lana Turner and Walter Matthau and directed by Daniel Mann. A romantic comedy and the spot that Eddie Albert did well - the best friend that gets tangled into the trouble and action! An actor to enjoy.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 29, 2024 15:38:02 GMT
Day 29. Mae Clarke was destined to be in show biz. She grew up with a father who was a professional organist, and by age 14, she was performing in cabaret acts along the east coast.
She also picked up jobs dancing in nightclubs and doing burlesque routines. An early friend was Barbara Stanwyck.
By age 16, she had her first role in the legitimate theater. She was already making a name for herself costarring with Stanwyck on stage. This brought her to the attention of a Hollywood talent scout for Fox. Fox signed her a short time later, and in 1929, she appeared in her first movie for the studio called BIG TIME with Lee Tracy.
She was top billed in her second film, NIX ON DAMES, also released in ’29. There were a few more Fox pictures after this, but she wasn’t progressing until she did a supporting role in United Artists’ adaptation of THE FRONT PAGE in 1931. Her scene stealing work as a woman who pushes her way into the reporters’ room caught the eye of some execs at Universal.
After signing with Universal, she made FRANKENSTEIN where she was directed by James Whale. Clarke would make two more films at Universal with Whale.
Her most critically lauded performance at Universal was her work as a prostitute in Whale’s version of WATERLOO BRIDGE (1931).
Continuing her red hot streak in ’31, she did an uncredited part over at Warner Brothers with James Cagney. He served her some fruit for breakfast in that one.
Back at Universal, there was a good role in THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN alongside Lew Ayres. She and Ayres became close pals, and he would later cast her in the only film he directed.
There were other precode gems in which Clarke appeared. She starred in NIGHT WORLD (1932) as a chorus girl.
Then she was loaned to Columbia to make THREE WISE GIRLS (1932). It was another prostitute role, but she enjoyed making this picture, sharing scenes with Jean Harlow.
Also in ’32 she made PENGUIN POOL MURDER at RKO. This time she was an unfaithful wife whose husband gets bumped off. Though she was not the culprit, she certainly acted guilty!
In 1933, she was back at Warners to reunite with Cagney in LADY KILLER. She was the female lead. Instead of having another taste of grapefruit, her hair got pulled by Cagney as he dragged her across the floor in another scene of cinematic affection.
There was a very good role and a short hair style in Columbia’s PAROLE GIRL (1933) as a bad girl who reforms. Her leading man was Ralph Bellamy.
Clarke’s career was at its peak, but things would change dramatically when she was in a car accident with friend Phillips Holmes. Clarke was scarred by the accident, both physically and mentally. The accident led to a lawsuit. Clarke spent a few months in a mental hospital after having a breakdown.
When she had recovered sufficiently from the accident, she bounced back and returned to work. Now she was a second lead, supporting Anna Sten, in Samuel Goldwyn’s NANA (1934).
Next she had a supporting role in Warner’s THE MAN WITH TWO FACES (1934) starring Edward G. Robinson. This was not the best part, but at least she was still working in ‘A’ pictures.
After this, she signed with Republic Pictures where she would find gainful employment for many years. Republic cast her in a charming road comedy with Alison Skipworth entitled HITCH HIKE LADY (1935). She plays a gritty prostitute, which had become her stock in trade.
A short time later she was the female lead opposite James Dunn in Republic’s civil war romance HEARTS IN BONDAGE (1936), directed by Lew Ayres.
The same year she made a thriller at Republic called HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES. Her costar was her old buddy Phillips Holmes.
Cagney then recruited her to costar with him in GREAT GUY, made for Grand National Pictures. Finally-- he was nicer to her on screen.
After this she was reduced to taking lower rung roles in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s. She never stopped working, even when her career started to hit the skids.
Republic kept her busy in the 1940s and 1950s when other studios weren’t hiring. There was a supporting role in FLYING TIGERS. And she had a lead in the B film DAREDEVILS OF THE CLOUDS in 1948, opposite Grant Withers. In the story, she portrayed a lady flyer.
Then there was another lead in STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO (1949).
Her best role at Republic, though, was a starring one in the serial KING OF THE ROCKET MEN (1949). It was later edited into a feature length film and re-released in the 1950s.
During the ‘50s she was back at the major studios, but usually in cameo roles or glorified walk-ons. If she did snag a somewhat substantial part, it would be a part in a B western. One exception was her role as a matron in WOMEN'S PRISON (1955).
By the mid-1960s she was appearing on daytime soap operas. For awhile she played an experienced nurse on ABC’s General Hospital.
Gradually she found herself out of work as an actress, and by 1970, she was teaching acting to drama students. Later, there would be a part-time job at Universal Studios where she was able to share her knowledge about the films she had made decades earlier when she was younger.
Mae Clarke’s autobiography was published after her death. It is filled with candid observations about her lengthy career in show biz. From the age of 14 up to life in her 80s, she had seen and done nearly everything.
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Post by sagebrush on Feb 29, 2024 19:17:55 GMT
These were really fun to read, topbilled! I know they are time-consuming, as well, so thank you for a February alternative to 31 Days Of Oscar (although I am probably one of the few who doesn't mind Oscar month.)
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Post by topbilled on Feb 29, 2024 20:05:21 GMT
These were really fun to read, topbilled! I know they are time-consuming, as well, so thank you for a February alternative to 31 Days Of Oscar (although I am probably one of the few who doesn't mind Oscar month.) Thanks. I appreciate your saying this. Somtimes I get a bit "ambitious" and don't realize how much time and effort these things require to write. I'm a perfectionist and I want them to be quality.
Some of these were a lot of fun to do, because I enjoyed reading up on favorite stars and summarizing what I'd been reading. Finding the pictures was my favorite part.
Looking ahead...I think I will make my list for next year in a few days. Then if I write two of these every month, I will have almost all 28 done by the time we reach next February. And I won't feel pressured to do one every 24 hours!
About a week ago, I had watched a Paramount comedy from the 1930s starring Gracie Allen & George Burns...I decided on the spot that Gracie will definitely be one of the honorees next year. Some of them cry out for recognition and reappraisal. You watch their films and they speak to you through the performance. They just kind of say "me-me-me, pick me, write about me." LOL
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Post by christine on Mar 1, 2024 0:04:59 GMT
Thanks so much topbilled for the wonderful array of film information this month. Some information I didn't know and it's always nice to learn new things especially from other movie enthusiasts! The world of film making is so enormous there's always such wonderful things to research, watch and talk about! I have some new films on my list to watch and new research to do myself! Great month's work!!!
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Post by topbilled on Mar 1, 2024 2:43:13 GMT
Here are the ones I will profile next year, with reasons for their selection:
1 ETHEL BARRYMORE...stage/silent film actress, character actress, Oscar recipient 2 DICK POWELL...versatility across genres especially noir, also his work as a director 3 GRACIE ALLEN...screwball comedy, vaudeville traditions and radio/television 4 DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR...second generation Hollywood royalty, precodes and British films 5 LILLI PALMER...international star, made films in Germany, Britain and the U.S. 6 RICARDO MONTALBAN...Mexican cinema as well as his Hollywood output and television work 7 BONITA GRANVILLE...female child star, some teen roles, later producer 8 DEAN MARTIN...comedy and music, some westerns, nightclub work 9 TALLULAH BANKHEAD...precodes, LGBTQ and stage work 10 HERB JEFFRIES...groundbreaking African American star 11 YVONNE DE CARLO...western genre, melodramas and television work 12 GEORGE RAFT...nightclub dancer, precodes, crime dramas 13 KIM HUNTER...represents method acting, Oscar recipient 14 EDDIE BRACKEN...vaudeville, comedy, longevity as performer 15 MICHELINE PRESLE...French cinema, as well as work in Hollywood 16 CHARLES BICKFORD...precodes, westerns and real-life tough guy 17 MARGARET SULLAVAN...romantic comedies and romance dramas 18 DEAN STOCKWELL...male child star, transitioned to teen and adult roles, television work 19 GLORIA STUART...precodes, worked with many notable directors, career longevity 20 LYLE TALBOT...precodes, low budget/poverty row/cult films, television, longevity 21 ANNE BANCROFT...from starlet to method actress to director, Oscar recipient 22 VITTORIO GASSMAN...Italian cinema, as well as work in Hollywood 23 SHIRLEY YAMAGUCHI...Asian cinema, as well as work in Hollywood 24 JOHNNY MACK BROWN...precodes, B westerns 25 LIZABETH SCOTT...noir/pulp classics 26 EDWARD ARNOLD...character actor who had lead roles, versatility (villains and sympathetic types) 27 VERA RALSTON...athlete turned actress in melodramas and westerns in Republic 'A' Pictures 28 ROBERT DONAT...British cinema as well as work in Hollywood, Oscar recipient
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Post by dianedebuda on Mar 1, 2024 14:34:12 GMT
Here are the ones I will profile next year, with reasons for their selection
I too have enjoyed this series of posts and look forward to next year's. Thanks.
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Post by jinsinna13 on Mar 1, 2024 14:40:16 GMT
18 DEAN STOCKWELL...male child star, transitioned to teen and adult roles, television work Topbilled, thank you for selecting Dean Stockwell for next year. I'm looking forward to reading your write up on him.
I'm surprised Douglas Fairbanks Jr hasn't been star of the month yet. Doug Jr made many films from the silent era to the 30's and 40's. Plus, he's well liked.
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Post by christine on Mar 1, 2024 17:58:56 GMT
Topbilled, looking forward to your STELLAR choices for next year!!!
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Post by NoShear on Mar 12, 2024 22:35:27 GMT
Day 24. Buster Crabbe was a popular film star, never mistaken for being a great actor, but he still gave competent performances in crowd-pleasing fare.
He came from a well-off family (his father was a real estate developer in Hawaii), and he had been sent to the University of Southern California to get an education. At USC, he excelled in athletics but was also expected by his parents to do well with his studies, since their hope was he’d become a lawyer. During this period of time, while he was in college, he entered the Olympics and earned a bronze medal in swimming in 1928.
Four years later, he entered the Olympics again and earned a gold medal that time. By 1932, he had graduated from college; he had started doing stunt work and uncredited athletic roles in motion pictures. Interestingly, he was auditioned for TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932), but MGM passed him over in favor of another Olympic medalist, Johnny Weissmuller.
Buster decided that if he didn’t make it in the acting profession after a twelve month period, he’d return to USC and enroll in law school. He had just been married, and unlike most Hollywood stars, his marriage would last (50 years until his death in 1983).
Though he didn’t get the part of Tarzan at MGM, he still played Tarzan in a low budget serial for an independent producer, TARZAN THE FEARLESS in 1933. Also that same year, he signed with Paramount. The studio cast him in KING OF THE JUNGLE, about a lion tamer character. He was now in lead roles and quickly typecast as an action star.
But Paramount saw other potential in Buster Crabbe. They used him in provocative precodes, like SEARCH FOR BEAUTY (1934) where he paired up with a blonde-haired Ida Lupino.
After this Paramount execs cast him in a series of modestly budgeted Zane Grey westerns.
In fact, westerns would become his bread-and-butter in the 1940s. But for now, the studio was placing him in a variety of genres. Including a W.C. Fields comedy, YOU’RE TELLING ME! (1934):
He was loaned out to RKO for the screwball farce WE’RE RICH AGAIN (1934) which didn’t exactly advance his career, but it did show off his nice physique to considerable advantage.
Back at Paramount, he made a few romantic westerns like WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND and NEVADA, both in 1935. In some of these productions, he was billed as Larry Crabbe or Larry ‘Buster’ Crabbe...his real name was Clarence Linden Crabbe.
Though the studio didn’t seem interested in promoting him to substantial ‘A’ films, he remained a hit with moviegoers. His films made money, and Universal expressed interest in borrowing him for several FLASH GORDON serials beginning in 1936, which the Paramount bosses agreed to letting him do.
For the Flash Gordon role his hair was bleached bright blonde. After these serials were finished, Universal used him again in a Buck Rogers serial. That time, his hair was darkened to differentiate Buck from Flash.
In between these Universal serials of the late 1930s and early 1940s, he was still on the payroll at Paramount. He had supporting roles in campus programmers like ROSE BOWL (1936) and MURDER GOES TO COLLEGE (1937). He was now nearly 30 years old but still looked youthful:
Paramount also put him in an Anna May Wong picture, DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI (1937):
Then he was a supporting heel in Helen Twelvetrees’ last picture, UNMARRIED (1939). This time he played a clean-cut ex-boxer:
Nearing the end of his Paramount contract in 1940, he was loaned out to Fox for SAILOR’S LADY (1940) a romcom that starred Jon Hall and Nancy Kelly. Off screen he and Hall became friends.
After this, he took a short break from films and appeared in an aquacade show back east. When the U.S. entered the war in ’41, he was not drafted due to being in his 30s and being married. But he still helped make government training films to aid the war effort.
Back in Hollywood full-time, he signed up to do a series of low-budget westerns at PRC…the first was BILLY THE KID WANTED…there would be a series of Billy the Kid flicks at PRC, followed by a dozen more with the character’s name slightly changed to Billy Carson.
Until 1946, he kept busy with the Billy westerns at PRC, turning out almost 30 of these pictures. They are in the public domain today and easy to find.
While making the Billy westerns, he did another jungle picture called NABONGA with Julie London.
Paramount occasionally asked him back. He did an action film for his old studio called WILDCAT in 1942.
SWAMP FIRE (1946) was also made for Paramount, which interestingly, united him with his former rival Johnny Weissmuller. In this publicity shot, they arm wrestle to see who's strongest:
Off camera Buster and Johnny had become friends and they would do another film together called CAPTIVE GIRL which was part of Johnny Weissmuller’s Jungle Jim series.
Paramount was still interested in Buster, and they hired him one last time for CAGED FURY in 1948. In this action drama, he was back to playing a lion tamer. He appeared opposite Richard Denning. Again, there was another bare-chested publicity photo:
In the early 50s, Buster was making more serials, this time at Columbia. KING OF THE CONGO (1952) is one of the more notable examples. Notice how the ad plays up the danger:
After KING OF THE CONGO Buster took another break from feature films. He wanted to try his luck in television. He hosted a children’s variety show which included clips of his serials. This was followed by a regular weekly series, Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, which costarred his son Cullen:
In 1958, he returned to western features, supporting George Montgomery in BADMAN’S COUNTRY. It was a hit. He had a good fight scene in this picture:
A year and a half later he landed the starring role in GUNFIGHTERS OF ABILENE (1960):
There were other movie appearances in the 60s…including a role alongside Audie Murphy in ARIZONA RAIDERS (1965).
Off screen, he had started taking on work as a stockbroker (never a lawyer) and there were gigs endorsing products for a swimming pool company. There were also charity events, in which he sponsored summer camp programs that gave at-risk boys a chance to swim and learn discipline. Buster himself continued to be an avid swimmer.
In the early 1970s, he broke records for his age category in men’s swimming competitions. There would be occasional returns to Hollywood. In 1979, he was a special guest star on NBC’s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Gil Rogers was now playing the title character, and Buster was a seen-it-all leader:
He then made an appearance on B.J. and the Bear, also on NBC. Plus there was a role as a sheriff in a swamp-horror picture, THE ALIEN DEAD in 1980.
At the time of Buster’s death in 1983, he was helping raise funds for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was someone who remained true to his family and continued to be athletically inclined. His grandson would become a football coach at his alma mater, USC. Buster was never a Clark Gable or Charles Boyer in the world of movies, but he was still a star and accomplished just as much, perhaps more, than others.
Thanks again for your involved post on Buster Crabbe, TopBilled... Thought of it with the following photo of a trio of aquatic gods here:
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