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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Sept 3, 2024 15:45:03 GMT
My favorite John Saxon role was in Vincente Minnelli's The Reluctant Debutante (1958), where he showed a real talent for sophisticated light comedy. He played opposite Sandra Dee, which couldn't hurt back then because she was skyrocketing in popularity, and alongside two pros, Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall. He more than held his own and the result is something I watch just about every time it's shown.  I'm a big fan of this film. Sanda Dee and Saxon made a cute young couple. I would have to say my favorite film Saxon is in is the Eastwood film Joe Kidd. |
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Post by topbilled on Sept 4, 2024 13:53:58 GMT
Lily Pons
Some musical stars have more interesting lives than others. Lily Pons is a perfect example. She grew up near Cannes and during WWI, Lily entertained French soldiers by singing to them. As she became older, she began to pursue a career as a professional singer. She was encouraged to devote herself to opera, which is what she did. By the late 1920s she was a star in France and other parts of Europe. In 1931 she had her debut at the Metropolitan in New York City. At the time most Americans had never heard of her, but that quickly changed. Overnight she became a sensation in the U.S., and Lily would spend the next three decades performing at the Met. Several years later she became an American citizen. She also had a movie contract offered to her by RKO. Lily only made four motion pictures. The first three were at RKO in the mid 30s. She was usually put in romantic musical comedies. Her first movie paired her with young rising star Henry Fonda and sixth-billed Lucille Ball. In her second cinematic venture Lily costarred with Gene Raymond; Lucille Ball appeared again in a sixth-billed role. For Lily’s final RKO production, she worked with Jack Oakie and Edward Everett Horton. She wouldn’t make another movie until after the war, when she had a cameo in CARNEGIE HALL, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. During the second World War, Lily and her conductor husband toured with the USO and entertained the troops. In the late 40s and 50s she was back at the Met; and she also played live concerts around the country. One town in Maryland has an aquatic site named after her, called the Lilypons Water Garden. Each year she sent out her Christmas Cards from there.
Suggested Viewing:I DREAM TOO MUCH (1935)THAT GIRL FROM PARIS (1935)HITTING A NEW HIGH (1937)CARNEGIE HALL (1947)
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Post by topbilled on Sept 5, 2024 13:53:35 GMT
Mario Lanza
Some stars are more temperamental than others. And no matter how much natural talent they have, they might still be prone to self-destruction. Ultimately that’s what happened to Mario Lanza. But before his meteoric rise and burn-out, he made some wonderful records and some equally wonderful motion pictures. He had been singing for about ten years when he was ‘discovered’ by L.B. Mayer at a Hollywood Bowl concert after the second World War. The studio mogul signed him to a long-term contract, but Mario was in the middle of a concert tour and would not actually be available to make his first film until a year later. While he was doing quite well on his tour, he still was not accomplished as an opera star and had not debuted at the Met in New York or played in some of the world’s major opera houses.Usually opera stars came to Hollywood after considerable success on stage, and they made movies between concert seasons. But Mario became a movie star first, and the process was a reverse one for him. While this situation did not diminish his overall credibility as a singer, it was a bit more difficult for him to be taken seriously by some of his contemporaries. Mario was paired with Kathryn Grayson in his first two pictures (billed after her), and they were smash hits. He carried his third and fourth pictures at Metro with ‘lesser’ stars. But in the early 50s there was a power struggle behind the scenes; L.B. Mayer was essentially ousted and his successor Dore Schary did not get along with Mario. The two men clashed, and Mario walked off the set of his fifth picture, THE STUDENT PRINCE.Since he had already recorded the soundtrack, Mario’s vocals were used in the finished picture, but European star Edmund Purdom took over the role and lip-synced the musical scenes. It was still a hit, but it would be Mario’s last film at the studio. He and MGM became engaged in a long drawn-out lawsuit and he was off screen for the next few years. After the litigation ended, Mario was able to freelance and he made his comeback at Warners. While his next movie was financially successful, its box office was nowhere near as great as his earlier efforts. He then went to Europe and dedicated himself to stage work.
There were personal problems (he drank and ate too much), but he still managed to make two more pictures in Europe. These films were independent productions, but MGM bought the rights for distribution (after Dore Schary’s ouster). Mario was preparing for his next movie and a chance to sing opera at a prestigious venue in Italy when he died from a heart attack at age 38.
Suggested Viewing:THAT MIDNIGHT KISS (1949)THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS (1950)THE GREAT CARUSO (1951)BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE (1952)THE STUDENT PRINCE (1954)SERENADE (1956)SEVEN HILLS OF ROME (1958)FOR THE FIRST TIME (1959)
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Post by I Love Melvin on Sept 5, 2024 15:07:30 GMT
I hadn't realized Mario was quite so young when he died; I guess the hard living made him seem older. Count me as a fan, but I have to confess that sometimes it's the formulaic silliness, mostly in the later films, which draws me in. Late period Mario was sort of like late period Elvis; you knew what you were going to get and you got it. But at least we didn't have to see him as race car drivers and waterski instructors; he knew his strengths and stuck to roles as singers and that made the most sense. Those movies still always made room for glimpses of Mario onstage singing opera and that's what sold the tickets. My favorite of the ones you listed is his last, For the First Time, with fantastic location photography in Capri and some iconic European opera houses, plus the added bonus of Zsa Zsa Gabor as a kind of jet set Greek chorus buzzing in and out of his life.
I also hadn't realized that the last of his films were foreign productions acquired by MGM; I assumed he'd mended fences enough to be financed by the studio, but I guess they were still wary and only wanted to participate when there was a finished product. It's a sad story but he left behind a nice legacy. Not a year goes by when I don't get out his Christmas album (CD).
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Sept 5, 2024 15:12:23 GMT
Not a fan of Lanza but I did enjoy the film Serenade (1956 WB), since it featured Joan Fontaine and Vincent Price.
His singing style is just not to my liking.
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Post by christine on Sept 6, 2024 4:12:19 GMT
I like Mario Lanza. I'm a fan of THE STUDENT PRINCE 1954 and always wondered why he didn't star in the movie and only his voice was used. The first time I saw the film, when I was young, I realized Ann Blyth could also sing!
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Post by topbilled on Sept 6, 2024 14:39:15 GMT
Doris Day
Doris Day had already enjoyed success as a singer in clubs and on radio when Warner Brothers hired her to appear in her first full-length motion picture. Actually, she was a last-minute substitution for Betty Hutton. Warners had made a deal to borrow Betty from Paramount for ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS and the script had been written with her in mind. But when a pregnancy forced Betty to bow out of the picture, Doris was given the chance to take over. The film was a tremendous hit with audiences, and so were the next few musicals the studio produced with Doris. She wasn’t even the lead star in her films of the late 40s– she didn’t receive top billing until 1950’s TEA FOR TWO– but it was pretty clear in those early productions Doris was the main attraction.From 1948 to 1957, Doris enjoyed a succession of hits at Warners. She was paired with Gordon MacRae several times; and there was a memorable collaboration with Howard Keel in Doris’ own favorite, CALAMITY JANE. Doris also worked with Frank Sinatra in the tearjerker YOUNG AT HEART. Next there were some films at MGM, including a nonmusical called JULIE; as well as a romantic comedy with Clark Gable at Paramount. She continued to do well with audiences, though most roles and situations were fairly standard and didn’t require too much real acting.She finally had a chance to take on “adult” roles when she signed a deal with Universal. In 1959 she made the sex farce PILLOW TALK with Rock Hudson. She and Rock teamed up two more times; and Doris also had several hits with James Garner. However, a few years later, her film career was in decline. A series of financial setbacks caused her to do a weekly television series which she began the same year her movie career ended.From 1968 to 1973 The Doris Day Show aired on CBS. Though it began as a rural sitcom, by its second season it was reformatted. Soon Doris moved off the farm with her TV kids and into the city (San Francisco) where they started a new life. The program was retooled once more (the kids were dropped without explanation), and she was suddenly a middle-aged single career women. After five seasons, Doris packed it in and decided it was time to enjoy her life away from Hollywood.
 Suggested Viewing:
ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948)IT'S A GREAT FEELING (1949)TEA FOR TWO (1950)CALAMITY JANE (1953)YOUNG AT HEART (1955)LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (1955)THE PAJAMA GAME (1957)TEACHER'S PET (1958)PILLOW TALK (1959)THE THRILL OF IT ALL (1963)
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Post by christine on Sept 6, 2024 18:15:31 GMT
I like Doris Day in MIDNIGHT LACE 1960. She did a few dramatic films and I think she's very good in them.
I like Myrna Loy as Aunt Bea too!
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Post by I Love Melvin on Sept 7, 2024 12:08:18 GMT
That's a good representative selection of her films, with something for everyone. I especially loved the shot of Rock and Doris being hosed down for their "beach scene" in Lover Come Back (1961), a nice scene but surely one of the fakest beaches ever seen onscreen. Another dramatic role I like was in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), where Doris' basic decency and motherly concern made the threat seem all the more real. And I know Jumbo (1962) is basically a lot of hokum, but I enjoy watching it. It's colorful entertainment, with some great support from Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye, though The Pajama Game (1957) is my favorite of her musicals.  |
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Post by sagebrush on Sept 7, 2024 12:35:51 GMT
Another good early Doris Day dramatic role is as Ginger Rogers sister in STORM WARNING (1950).
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Post by topbilled on Sept 7, 2024 13:38:47 GMT
Another good early Doris Day dramatic role is as Ginger Rogers sister in STORM WARNING (1950).
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Post by topbilled on Sept 7, 2024 13:49:06 GMT
Lauritz MelchiorLauritz Melchior was one of the world’s most important singers. His success in opera productions took him in a variety of artistic directions. He capitalized on the opportunities that came his way, and audiences were richer for it. He started his career in Europe as a high baritone. But a mentor decided after hearing him perform one day that he had the potential to switch over to operatic roles as a low tenor. This proved a fortuitous bit of advice, and after a period of retraining, Lauritz found his niche. He became widely celebrated across the European continent.In addition to his stage work he began to cut records. This was followed by the chance to work in America. After establishing himself in U.S. opera productions, Lauritz became just as well-known in North America as he had been overseas. Soon MGM signed him to a movie contract. From 1945 to 1947, he would appear in four of producer Joe Pasternak’s productions. The first one costarred Kathryn Grayson and Jimmy Durante– it was the smash hit TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON. This would be followed by two musicals with Esther Williams; as well as another one with Jane Powell. After his tenure at Metro ended, Lauritz returned to the world of opera, and he continued to tour extensively. He remained active until he went into semi-retirement in the mid-1950s. There was another movie musical– made at Paramount with Rosemary Clooney and Anna Maria Alberghetti. This was followed by some sporadic television appearances. In an episode of Danny Thomas’ show, he played Shirley Jones’ father and of course, both were featured musically in the story.
 Suggested Viewing:THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945)TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON (1946)THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (1947)LUXURY LINER (1948)
THE STARS ARE SINGING (1953)
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Post by christine on Sept 8, 2024 5:23:02 GMT
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Post by topbilled on Sept 8, 2024 13:20:45 GMT
I think my favorite from your film list topbilled is THRILL OF ROMANCE 1945. |
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Post by topbilled on Sept 8, 2024 13:25:38 GMT
Yvonne De Carlo
Not everyone has what it takes to be a movie star. Then again not everyone is as beautiful or as talented as Yvonne De Carlo. She was born Margaret but went by her middle name Yvonne when she arrived in Hollywood. De Carlo was her mother’s side of the family, and they were Sicilian, not Spanish, as she often pointed out. Originally Yvonne and her mother had left their native Canada illegally, and they were deported back across the Canadian border. A short time later mother and daughter were allowed to return to the U.S., legally. They settled in Los Angeles, and Yvonne began to pursue her dreams of becoming a movie star. She was signed with Paramount during the war, but the studio couldn’t seem to figure out how to use her. At one point Yvonne, like so many other actresses, tried out for a role in a Cecil B. DeMille picture, but she was not selected. Soon Paramount dropped her and she was back to square one. But Yvonne and her mother did not give up. In 1945 she moved over to Universal, and that is where she achieved her greatest success. The studio put her in a sensational action-dance western war picture (there’s no other way to describe it), and she became an overnight star in SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED. Universal saw great value in promoting its hot new commodity. She was featured in adventure tales and westerns. And occasionally she was used in gritty crime dramas, such as BRUTE FORCE; and the classic noir CRISS CROSS, both with Burt Lancaster. By the mid-50s, Yvonne had become a freelancer. She was in great demand in England and other parts of Europe. Her career experienced a resurgence when Mr. DeMille asked her to come back to Hollywood and play the part of Sephora in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Years later Yvonne cited this as her best performance.She was now back at Paramount and an even bigger star. She enjoyed other prestigious assignments, including a role opposite Clark Gable in Warners’ BAND OF ANGELS. In the early 60s Yvonne took a break from the movies. But when her husband, stuntman Bob Morgan, was severely injured on the set of an MGM western, she was forced to return to the screen to pay his medical bills. Their friend John Wayne gave Yvonne a role in MCCLINTOCK!; and producer A.C. Lyles used her in several of his westerns at Paramount in subsequent years. As part of her husband’s settlement with MGM, Yvonne went to work at Metro; and she had strong secondary roles there in the 60s. She also managed to squeeze in a two-year gig as Lily Munster in the classic sitcom The Munsters. It brought her a whole new audience. Unlike other actresses, she did not become typecast– her versatility led to more opportunities during the following decades. In 1990, she had a good role in Sylvester Stallone’s mobster comedy OSCAR, where she was able to play a character that was Sicilian, not Spanish.Yet no matter how many times she reinvented herself, she would still always be Salome.
 Suggested Viewing:
SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED (1945)CASBAH (1948)RIVER LADY (1948)CRISS CROSS (1949)CALAMITY JANE AND SAM BASS (1949)THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE (1953)THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)
DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL (1956)
BAND OF ANGELS (1957)
MUNSTER GO HOME! (1966)
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