Darwin Porter – Believe him or not? PT 3

October 28, 2017 Alan Royle 4

The third and final segment regarding ‘Katharine the Great’, the controversial Darwin Porter biography of Katherine Hepburn. Eleanor Roosevelt *Eleanor Roosevelt had a heavy crush on Kate although it was not reciprocated. In the early 1940s the First Lady wrote her many passionate letters, but it was a one-way love […]

The Many Loves of Bette Davis (1908-89).

August 15, 2017 Alan Royle 4

  Bette Davis was never a raving beauty. Indeed, when Jack Warner sent a representative to the railway station to greet her on her arrival in Tinsel Town, the man returned empty-handed, declaring that nobody even remotely looking like a movie star got off the train. Be that as it […]

PAST OSCAR WINNERS – Some observations – PT 2.

October 1, 2016 Alan Royle 2

  1942                Mrs. Miniver – Best Picture   Well, World War Two was in full swing and America was now in it, so a war picture (or at least a flag-waver) was bound to win Best Picture. And one did. There were four of these nominated: Mrs. Miniver, Wake Island […]

PAST OSCAR WINNERS – Some Observations – PT 1.

September 29, 2016 Alan Royle 0

                I have been looking through the history of the Academy Awards and, like most people interested in such things, I have found myself disagreeing with many of the choices and agreeing wholeheartedly with others. Here are a few of my thoughts on […]

Henry Willson – super agent.

February 22, 2016 admin 0

  Henry Willson He started out as a journalist in the 1930s. By the late 30s he became the guy who gave Lana Turner her name. In fact, Henry had a real flair for creating memorable (and unusual) names for up and coming actors and actresses. In addition to Lana […]

The Casting Couch.

January 13, 2016 admin 3

  Claudette Colbert was a big star, but even she admitted to getting her start in Hollywood via someone’s ‘casting couch’. In fact, she told an interviewer that the only star she knew of who made it without resorting to the ‘couch’ was Bette Davis. She did not elaborate on that […]

Gay Hollywood in the studio days.

December 16, 2015 admin 2

  I read recently that ‘gay-gossip is the newest and most clever form of homophobia’. Nice try, but I’m not buying it.  I am neither homosexual nor homophobic, but I am interested in subterfuge and in exposing old-time movie studios that made an art form out of gulling the public. […]

The Studio System – the Big Five.

July 22, 2015 admin 7

  For several decades the ‘Big Five’ in Hollywood were MGM, 20th Century Fox, RKO, Paramount and Warner Bros. United Artists had its moments in the sun, as did Columbia, Republic and Universal, but they were not really in the same league as the others. Of the ‘Big Five’ only RKO […]