‘They Died With Their Boots On’ (1941)

December 30, 2016 Alan Royle 0

  Any resemblance in this movie to actual fact is pretty much accidental. The storyline is complete Hollywood hokum, and it is a good thing that Libbie Custer, George Armstrong’s widow, did not live to see it. She died eight years earlier in 1933. Even she would have shaken her […]

WAMPAS Baby Stars – PT5 (1926)

December 28, 2016 Alan Royle 4

  MARY ASTOR (1906-87)                            1526 For some reason 1926 was quite a year for WAMPAS Baby Stars. Most of them ended up being major movie stars. Mary Astor is the first of these. Born Lucile Langhanke, her career started in 1921 and lasted over forty years and 154 screen credits. […]

Did you know?

December 26, 2016 Alan Royle 3

  When the United Artists cast and crew arrived in Prague, Czechoslovakia in June 1968 to shoot this picture, Alexander Dubcek had only recently become the Communist Party Secretary in Czechoslovakia. Unlike his predecessors, he was a man bent on improving the lot of his countrymen by softening the hard-line […]

Memorable musical moments in movies – PT2 – (25-1).

December 24, 2016 Alan Royle 2

  25          PULP FICTION (1994) – The popular Chuck Berry hit, ‘You Never Can Tell’, gets a second life as Uma Thurman and John Travolta join the ‘Jack Rabbit Slim Twist Contest’ – and win. To my mind Travolta is one of the most watchable actors going around, and has […]

Memorable musical moments in movies – PT1 – (50-26).

December 22, 2016 Alan Royle 0

  50          FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986) – A clip that I personally cannot abide is this one of Matthew Broderick miming to the Beatles’, ‘Twist and Shout’, while standing atop a parade float in the city. His miming is not very good either, but the dancing and crowd reaction […]

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Actors marrying other actors – PT 19.

December 20, 2016 Alan Royle 0

      Bobby DARIN                                   Sandra DEE                           (1960 – 67)    divorced Bobby Darin & Sandra Dee   As a struggling songwriter in the legendary Brill Building, Bobby met up and coming singer Connie Francis and fell desperately in love with her. The girl’s strict Italian father refused her permission to […]

Hollywood & the Catholic Legion of Decency (CLOD).

December 18, 2016 Alan Royle 6

  At the zenith of their power the ‘Seven Sisters’ (MGM, Warners, Paramount, Universal, Columbia, Fox and RKO) did much as they pleased. Few outsiders had any influence over their decisions or their conduct. Few, that is, with the exception of the Catholic Legion of Decency (CLOD). They were a […]

The Best Pictures Year by Year – PT4 (1960-66)

December 16, 2016 Alan Royle 0

    1960 Oscar-Nominated Films THE APARTMENT The Alamo Elmer Gantry Sons and Lovers The Sundowners   My Top 10 for 1960   10        G I BLUES 9          TUNES OF GLORY 8          FROM THE TERRACE 7          SINK THE BISMARCK! 6          PSYCHO 5          THE SUNDOWNERS 4          INHERIT THE WIND 3          NORTH […]

TV TID-BITS – PT 1.

December 14, 2016 Alan Royle 0

  BONANZA                                          Bonanza was shot at Paramount until 1970 when it was moved to Stage 14 at Warner Bros for its final three seasons. The Ponderosa Ranch House was built […]

Past Oscars PT7 – 1975-81

December 12, 2016 Alan Royle 8

  1975               One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Best Picture                         Jack Nicholson – Best Actor for One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest                         Louise Fletcher – Best Actress for One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest                         George Burns – Best Supporting Actor for The Sunshine Boys This was the […]