A couple of English roses – Simmons & Bloom.

July 30, 2017 Alan Royle 5

    JEAN SIMMONS (1929 – 2010) Jean Simmons was her real name and she hailed from Crouch Hill, London. She was barely sixteen when she landed a miniscule part in the British film Caesar and Cleopatra in 1945. The production proved to be an opportunity (however small) for several […]

ANGELINA JOLIE – Smoke and mirrors?

July 28, 2017 Alan Royle 4

  Angelina Jolie is an enigma. She is both secretive and outrageously candid. She is selfish and at times quite selfless. She can be buoyant and effervescent one minute; depressed and suicidal the next. From an early age she was highly sexual and into self-mutilation. Her mother seemingly encouraged the […]

Hollywood philanthropists – a quick look.

July 26, 2017 Alan Royle 2

  In the last 20-30 years there has developed a philanthropic culture in Hollywood involving superstars in the movie industry. Cynics are quick to accuse these people of ‘image-making’, or of diverting media attention from potential career-damaging headlines of a personal nature. In some instances that has certainly happened, but […]

ROCK HUDSON – An all-time great sex symbol.

July 24, 2017 Alan Royle 2

  In 1995, Empire magazine named the Top 100 Sexiest Stars in Movie History and Rock Hudson came in at # 28. Today, of course, he is best remembered for his sexuality rather than his appeal to female cinema-goers around the world. Rock was the first big star to be […]

Did you know? – Dietrich, Turner & Crawford. A few thoughts.

July 22, 2017 Alan Royle 5

    MARLENE DIETRICH        (1901-92) Marlene had literally hundreds of lovers of both sexes. Debate still rages over whether or not she and Greta Garbo were intimate.  There is considerable evidence that they made a movie together in Europe before heading for America, but both ladies always maintained they had […]

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Hollywood Mysteries Pt 3.

July 20, 2017 Alan Royle 0

    The victim – 1968 – Los Angeles, California Ramon Novarro (69)       Novarro as Ben-Hur                in later years Ramon Novarro was a matinee idol of the silent era who once played the title role in the 1925 version of […]

Hollywood Mysteries Pt 2.

July 18, 2017 Alan Royle 2

      The victim – 1959 – Beverly Hills, California  George Reeves (45) The corpse of George Reeves, television’s Superman, was found naked in his bedroom at 1.59am by his party guests who then waited 45 minutes before calling police. Why the delay? And why would George get completely […]

Hollywood Mysteries Pt 1.

July 16, 2017 Alan Royle 0

                        There has been a number of mysterious deaths in Hollywood and the movie (and TV )business over the past hundred or so years. Over the next week or so I shall briefly look at the most interesting of […]

50 TOP MALE SUPPORTING ACTORS PT 2 (25-1)

July 14, 2017 Alan Royle 2

  25        JOE PANTOLIANO I enjoyed Joe Pantoliano as Guido in Risky Business (1983), Eddie Moscone in Midnight Run (1988) and as Cosmo Renfro in The Fugitive (1993). My only criticism is his over-use of expletives in the roles he chooses. Perhaps, I am just showing my age. 24        AUSTIN […]

50 TOP MALE SUPPORTING ACTORS PT 1 (50-26).

July 12, 2017 Alan Royle 1

    50 GREAT MALE SUPPORTING ACTORS Most of the truly great movies owe much of their success to, not just their leading players, but to the quality of the character actors who support them. We all have our favorites, but here is a selection of mine. You may not […]