Camera Shot!

John Cromwell and Claudett Colbert on the Set of Since You Went Away.

Claudette Colbert remains the only actress in the history of cinema to star in three films in the same year to be nominated for Best Picture Academy Award, those films being Cleopatra, Imitation of Life, and It Happened One Night which were all made in 1934. She won for her role in It Happened One Night.

Rita Hayworth on set of Affair in Trinidad.

Despite appearing in 61 films over 37 years, including leading roles in successful, classic films like Gilda, she never received an Academy Award nomination.

Edward G. Robinson and Marian Marsh on the set of Five Star Final.

Robinson was never nominated for an Academy Award, but in 1973 he was awarded an honorary Oscar in recognition that he had "achieved greatness as a player, a patron of the arts, and a dedicated citizen ... in sum, a Renaissance man". He died two months before the award ceremony.

Joan Crawford was nominated for Best Actress three times in her career for her roles in Mildred Pierce, which she won, Possessed and Sudden Fear.

Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan in Tarzan and his Mate. Neither O'Sullivan or Weissmuller were ever nominated for the Academy Award.

Norma Shearer and Sam Wood on set of The Latest from Paris.

Norma Shearer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress on six occasions, winning once for her role in The Divorcee. She was nominated for her roles in Their Own Desire, A Free Soul, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Romeo and Juliet, and Marie Antoinette.

Sam Wood was nominated for Best Director three times in his career for Goodbye Mr. Chips, Kitty Foyle and Kings Row.

 James Wong Howe and  Betty Bronson on set of Peter Pan. 

James Wong Howe was nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography for Algiers, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Kings Row, Air Force, The North Star, The Rose Tattoo, The Old Man and the Sea, Hud, Seconds, and Funny Lady. He won the award twice for Hud and The Rose Tattoo.

The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

Arthur Ferguson Jones (Edward G. Robinson) is a gentle man, conscientious, timely, caring, and slightly dull. Clearly the pushover type. He's in love with Wilhelmina Clark (Jean Arthur), a co-worker so completely mismatched to himself, she is consistently late to work and adores adventure. When she points out to the office the resemblance between Jones and a picture in the newspaper of the recently escaped convict "Killer" Manion, also played by Robinson, Jones has no idea how his life is about to change forever- much to Clark's delight and his dismay.

While Jones is lunching with Clark for the first time ever, a nearby patron Hoyt (Donald Meek) a calls the police, thinking he will get the reward for Manion's capture. Obviously having a heck of a time convincing everyone who he really is, it's not until Manion commits another crime while Jones is at the station that the police are convinced of the mix up. Jones is then given a pass he can present anytime a cop stops him in the street (sigh...do they ever learn?)

Back at the office, Jones is now considered the top dog. All his co-workers pat him on the back and even his boss (who could not correctly identify him at the poice station) has an exciting proposition for him that will benefit both Jones and his own company. Jones will collaborate with the city paper and have his own article on his opinion of crime despite looking like "Killer" Manion.

When Jones arrives home later that night, he finds Manion waiting for him to share the "pass" so he will be safe at night to commit crime. When Manion learns of Jones' column he demands that Jones' it be turned into his reminiscences, which raises the suspicion of authorities. When the police question how Jones is getting the inside scoop, they decide he'd be safer in jail. Allowed to stop of and collect a few personal items, Manion decides to take his place now that he knows fellow gangster, "Slugs" Martin (Edward Brophy), who turned stool pigeon on him is in the same jail. Successfully killing Martin, Manion escapes jail again (the police aren't catching any breaks in this film) he sets about a series of events that will pit Jones and him against one another with only one victor in the end.

A fun and different kind of film than I am used to seeing from director John Ford, Robinson is also a surprise. He is delightfully hilarious as a humble coward who moons over a slightly crazy Jean Arthur. Having him play against type was a stroke of genius and produced a good piece of work worth checking out.

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Davy Crockett, Indian Scout (1950) One of Davy Crockett's descendants leads a wagon train through perilous territory. Cast: George Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Philip Reed, Noah Beery Jr. Dir: Lew Landers

Newman's own: The Prize (1963)

Andrew Craig (Paul Newman), a drunken, jaded American has arrived in Stockholm to collect his Nobel Prize and maybe seduce a few women. Though he finds much to be attracted to in his guide Inger Andersson (Elke Sommer), he finds wooing her somewhat difficult when he becomes embroiled in a Communist plot he has a hard time convincing others of. After witnessing murder, being chased by spies, thrown off a building and required to strip at a nudist meeting, Craig barely finds time to avoid the designs of a plotting married woman and the deceptive niece of Dr. Stratman (Edward G. Robinson) whom he thinks has been kidnapped and replaced by a look alike. With edge of your seat action, the viewer will wonder if Craig manages to make it out alive or at least out of that towel...

I really enjoyed this film mainly because despite the action and suspense, Newman turned it into something comical. His facial expressions and dry delivery of lines works well within the plot. It's refreshing to see him in films that don't require him to angrily sulk or be overcome with emotion.

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Celebrating some Toshiro Mifune!!

S&G: We aim to please...

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The Snake Pit (1948) A young woman tries to recover her sanity in a corrupt mental institution.

Cast: Olivia deHavilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm Dir: Anatole Litvak

The Heiress (1949) A plain young woman's money makes her prey to fortune hunters.
Cast: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Dir: William Wyler

A Place in the Sun (1951) An ambitious young man wins an heiress's heart but has to cope with his former girlfriend's pregnancy. Cast: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere Dir: George

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958)
A dying plantation owner tries to help his alcoholic son solve his problems. Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson Dir: Richard Brooks

Stars! They're just like us!

They enjoy drag!

They play horseshoes!

They wait for mail!

They stay active!

They teach table tennis!

They dress themselves!

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Bogart in the fifties!

Bullets or Ballots (1936)

Here's the deal, see? Johnny Blake can’t help it if he’s got the gift of gab and has infiltrated Al Kruger's racketeering gang. Al Kruger’s a rube, see? Thinks ole Johnny is the right gee only he ain’t the right gee and has Al set up for the ole send over. But not before Johnny catches how much cabbage the Kruger gang rakes in or sees the shack they use to count it in. But Bugs Fenner is hinky, see? Already has Johnny doped for a dick no matter what his boss Al says. Even when Johnny gives a copper some chin music and gets thrown in the can, ole Bugs still puts the screws on. And he should. Johnny’s been dropping dimes on Captain McLaren who’s in charge of sweeping up the dirt made by racketeering. But Johnny’s got tricks, see? He knows a Jane that makes plenty of cush running numbers and thinks Al should let him run numbers. Now Johnny’s all silk. He’s raking in dough and respect from the other members of the gang, it’s all duck soup. But Bugs is still hot, he wants to be the high pillow but he’s gotta meet the top men who use Al like a puppet first. Johnny’s new rep ain’t gonna help him so Bugs speeds things along by letting the daylight in on Al. With him outta the way he thinks the tops will put him wise but their hats are tipped to Johnny. So, Bugs has Johnny tailed and sees everything in red. He confronts Johnny slinging metal. Johnny catches a slug but not before fitting Bugs for his wooden kimono. Johnny makes it to the station in just enough time to peach. That’s the crop. Savvy?









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The Magnificent Seven(1960)
Seven American gunmen hire themselves out to protect a Mexican village from bandits.
Cast: Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson Dir: John Sturges

Vintage Ads

Virginia Bruce for Royal Gelatin Desserts

Greer Garson for Lucky Strike

Edward G. Robinson for PBR

Bing Crosby for Philco

Maureen O'Hara for Camels

Joan Crawford for Blackglama furs

Betty Furness for Westinghouse

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Three Came Home (1950) A woman fights to survive as a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II.Cast: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond, Sessue Hayakawa Dir: Jean Negulesco

Stars! They're just like us!

They go el toro loco!

Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles

They live on the edge!

Edward G. Robinson

They give music lessons!

Gary Cooper

They clean their guns!

They work it out!

Randolph Scott and Cary Grant

They eat sandwiches!Jane Mansfield

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Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933)
Three chorus girls fight to keep their show going and find rich husbands.
Cast: Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Ruby Keeler Dir: Mervyn LeRoy

11:00pm Footlight Parade (1933)
A producer fights labor problems, financiers and his greedy ex-wife to put on a show.
Cast: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell Dir: Lloyd Bacon
Irene Dunne and James Stewart