Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...New book: THE MAN WHO DANCED WITH FRED ASTAIRE, published last week by Oxford University Press, is a biography of choreographer Hermes Pan. The author is John Franceschina.

...Singer Rise Stevens, who starred with Nelson Eddy in THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (1941) and Bing Crosby in GOING MY WAY (1944), turned 99 on June 11th.

...Amazon will be streaming MGM movies and TV series. Titles include one of my favorite TV shows, THIRTYSOMETHING.

...Barrie Maxwell of the Digital Bits has a new column focusing on manufactured-on-demand DVD releases. He also recently reviewed the Maisie Collection from the Warner Archive.

...Greenbriar Picture Shows has a two-part series up on the Pine-Thomas production THE LAWLESS (1950); here's Part 1 and Part 2. THE LAWLESS stars Gail Russell and Macdonald Carey; it was just released on DVD by Olive. My copy arrived a few days ago!

...Here's an interesting entry in the Missouri Biography Series: THE ORIGINAL RUSH LIMBAUGH by Dennis Bowman is the life story of the grandfather of the famed radio commentator. Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. was a highly regarded attorney, legislator, ambassador, and member of several civil rights commissions; he lived a fascinating life before passing on at the age of 104.

...Colin Farrell will play the father of MARY POPPINS writer P.L. Travers in the Disney film SAVING MR. BANKS.

...Caftan Woman offers a Father's Day tribute to "Pappy," the often-quoted father who was only seen once on the TV series MAVERICK.

...I was rather surprised that the new version of DALLAS got a decent review in the Los Angeles Times, which called it "a worthy return." I liked this description of 80-year-old Larry Hagman as J.R.: "The pilot dawdles until the right word rouses him back to action like a demon from his thousand-year sleep. His eyes light up, and the party starts."

...Geezer Music Club plays tribute to "The Musical Side of Fred MacMurray."

...Speaking of Fred MacMurray, how cool is it that the new Flo's V8 Cafe in Disney California Adventure serves wine from both MacMurray Ranch and Fess Parker Winery?

...Western Costume Co. is now a century old. Early last year my daughter had the fun of going to Western Costume for a fitting when she worked as an extra on the cable TV series TORCHWOOD; she was dressed up to be a turn-of-the-century Irish immigrant at Ellis Island. Western Costume is a treasure trove of Hollywood history.

...Attention Southern Californians: The California Heritage Museum is currently hosting the exhibit "Gotta Dance! The Art of the Dance Movie Poster." The museum is located on Main Street in Santa Monica. Susan King wrote about the exhibit in the L.A. Times.

...More for Southern Californians: The exhibit Diana: Legacy of a Princess opened on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach yesterday. The Los Angeles Times has details.

...Cliff has a lovely tribute to Ann Rutherford at Immortal Ephemera, and be sure to check out his links to tributes by several other bloggers.

Have a great week!