Everyone (of a certain age) remembers Gale Gordon, the eternal curmudgeon, easily excitable and forever exasperated by the likes of Dennis Mitchell and Lucy Carmichael. Gale was a master of the “slow burn” — his temper rising, his brow furrowing, until he blasted forth with “gale-force” anger. His career spanned seven decades, starting out in …
A career in Hollywood was the natural choice for pretty, petite blond Wanda Hawley. Beginning in 1917 with her debut in the drama The Derelict, Wanda crammed an astounding 84 film appearances into fifteen years. She proved her versatility and was adept at both comedy and drama. Wanda shared the screen with forgotten stars like Bryant Washburn …
Gene Tierney’s career and critical acclaim began when she carried a bucket of water across a Broadway stage in 1938’s What a Life! A critic for Variety proclaimed “Miss Tierney is certainly the most beautiful water carrier I’ve ever seen!” She took bigger, more substantial roles on the stage until Darryl F. Zanuck, the head …
“I still got the moves, Blue.” Paul Williams took his own life in August 1973. He was 34. David Ruffin died in 1991 from an adverse reaction to cocaine. He was 51. Eddie Kendricks died from lung cancer in 1992. He was 52. Melvin Franklin was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the 1960s. Regular cortisone treatments …
Debralee Scott kicked off her career as a nude corpse in the Clint Eastwood cop thriller Dirty Harry. Two years later, she was sidling up to Harrison Ford in his “piss yellow-puke green” hot rod in George Lucas’ American Graffiti. In 1974, the feisty, freckled redhead with the adorable overbite landed a regular supporting role …
Bobby Hutchins made his debut with Hal Roach’s kid-friendly comedy troupe “Our Gang” at the age of 2. On his first day on the set, little Bobby ran around until he was out of breath, earning him his on-screen nickname “Wheezer.” Cast as the tag-along little brother, Bobby appeared in 58 of the Our Gang …
Twenty-year old Olive Thomas entered and won “The Most Beautiful Girl in New York City” contest in 1914. A year later, she made her Ziegfeld Follies debut. She became the star of the risqué Midnight Frolic show, an after hours production that catered to wealthy male patrons. Olive was showered with gifts from her admirers, including …
“In her false witness, we hope you’re still with us, To see if they float or drown Our favorite patient, a display of patience, Disease-covered Puget Sound She’ll come back as fire, to burn all the liars, And leave a blanket of ash on the ground” — Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle …
Can you imagine my joy when, in 1975, I brought home a newly-released copy of Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare album, popped it onto my turntable and heard a deliciously creepy introduction by none other than the “King of Modern Macabre” — Vincent Price? It was (if I may borrow a word not particularly popular in …
Doris Wishman was bored. As a recent widow, she refused to sit home and spend the rest of her life grieving. So she decided to make movies. Doris, a New York native, skirted recently-passed nudity legislation. The new law permitted nudity in film in a documentary context. Doris borrowed $10,000 from her sister and produced …
