Stars we lost in 2016 – Pt 2.

January 25, 2017 Alan Royle 0

  In the previous post I looked at the passing of Carrie Fisher, Michael Massee, Jon Polito, Florence Henderson, David Bowie, Patty Duke, Alan Rickman, Alan Thicke, Charmian Carr, Dan Haggerty, Kenny Baker, Robert Vaughn, Gene Wilder and Ronnie Corbett. Here are some more unique individuals who failed to see […]

Stars we lost in 2016 – PT 1.

January 23, 2017 Alan Royle 0

  Every year the movie world loses irreplaceable talent to the ravages of time, illness and mishap, and 2016 was no exception. Here is a brief look at some of the performers whose unique personas will no longer grace our screens. Fortunately, unlike most of us, their best works will […]

Mackenzie Phillips – ‘High on Arrival’.

January 19, 2017 Alan Royle 4

  In 2009 Mackenzie Phillips launched her autobiography High on Arrival, a no-holds-barred look at her incredible drug-filled life as the daughter of the iconic John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas sixties singing group. It is an extraordinary story in every way, by far the most interesting (and […]

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On-set fatalities in Hollywood movies.

November 22, 2016 Alan Royle 5

Movie-making has cost the lives of quite a few of those involved in the process. Stuntmen, cameramen, assistants, extras, plus the occasional director and actor have lost their lives down the decades. This is not a definitive list, not by a long shot, but it does demonstrate the perils that […]

A few Hollywood substance abusers PT 2.

November 4, 2016 Alan Royle 17

    Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins opted to join Alcoholics Anonymous after he awoke in another state without having any idea how he got there. Until then he had struggled with alcoholism since the beginning of his acting career. It turned him into a loner and destroyed several relationships.   […]

A few Hollywood substance abusers. PT 1.

November 2, 2016 Alan Royle 18

  John Barrymore John Barrymore became famous for playing sympathetic drunks on film, no great stretch for him given he was a fully-fledged, dedicated alcoholic off-camera all his life. As a Shakespearian stage actor he was brilliant in his youth, able to memorize and deliver extraordinarily long speeches effortlessly and […]

The Mike Todd saga.

September 19, 2016 Alan Royle 12

    In 1958 Kirk Douglas accepted an invitation from film producer Mike Todd to accompany him on a flight to New York aboard Mike’s private plane dubbed The Lucky Liz, in honor of his wife Elizabeth Taylor. ‘As I was packing my bags I suddenly felt a painful knotting […]

The O J Simpson fiasco -where are they now?

August 10, 2016 Alan Royle 5

  Back in June, I wrote a piece here on O J Simpson. Further research and the viewing of a brilliant 5 part TV special titled OJ: Made in America have led me to pen a few brief notes on the principals involved in his 1995 trial, what has become […]

OJ Simpson – Did he do it?

June 11, 2016 Alan Royle 16

  I wonder how many people outside American football fans know what the ‘O.J.’ stands for in Simpson’s name? He was born ‘Orenthal James’ in San Francisco in July 1947. His father was a well-known drag queen in San Francisco who separated from the boy’s mother in 1952. Mr. Simpson […]

Johnny Stompanato – Stud to the Stars.

June 9, 2016 Alan Royle 14

    The quaint little town of Woodstock, Illinois has produced several interesting individuals, prominent among them actors Orson Welles and Jessica Biel, cartoonist Chester Gould the creator of Dick Tracy, and gangster, mob enforcer Johnny Stompanato. It was also the location for the 1993 film Groundhog Day that starred […]