Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...It's been a few weeks since my last link roundup! Between covering back-to-back film festivals in April and then traveling to Arizona for our son's college graduation earlier this month, it's been a busy few weeks. I have so many links saved up it will probably take two or three posts to share them all!

...Happy birthday to Jimmy Lydon, who was 93 Monday! I most recently enjoyed Lydon in an excellent Western, THE DESPERADO (1954), costarring Wayne Morris and Beverly Garland.

...A couple more links regarding the TCM Classic Film Festival: From Monica Castillo at L.A. Weekly, Why Young People Go Nuts for the TCM Classic Film Festival, and by Daniel Schindel at L.A. Magazine, If You Think Throwing a Classic Film Fest Together is Easy, You're Wrong.

...In addition to my posts here, I also covered the TCM Classic Film Festival for ClassicFlix.

...Coming soon from the Warner Archive: A four-film set of RKO "B" films starring Lee Tracy, including the delightful CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938).

...Also coming from the Archive: Blu-rays of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949) and THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (1945).

...Speaking of John Wayne, the star of the previous two titles, here's some lovely writing by Sheila O'Malley on ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (1947) and HONDO (1953), at her blog The Sheila Variations. She does a wonderful job capturing Wayne's physical grace and acting ability.

...We've become Dutch Bros. fans on our trips to Oregon, and we were happy to discover one had opened in Flagstaff on our last trip, seen here at the right. This story is a great illustration of some of what we love about the chain. It's always an upbeat, positive place to visit.

...Glenn Erickson has written wonderful reviews of the new Flicker Alley releases of WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950) and TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949).

...For more on these films, Farran Smith Nehme, aka the Self-Styled Siren, has written about both titles for FilmComment.

...Lizabeth Scott, star of TOO LATE FOR TEARS, lived in the Hollywood Hills for decades. I recently came across photos of her home which were published in the L.A. Times just about a year ago. I love her backyard!

...Raquel of Out of the Past is hosting another Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge this year! I successfully completed my lists in 2013 and 2014 but only finished two of my 2015 books last summer, as life got busy due to our daughter's wedding. I may give it a fresh try this year, as I have a couple books to review in the near future -- and I'd like to finally finish a couple I started last summer!

...Royalty Watch: Photos from the christening of little Prince Oscar of Sweden last Friday.

...The Netflix GILMORE GIRLS revival is officially named GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE.

...Here's KC at A Classic Movie Blog with an interesting look at Gene Tierney's villainess in the great LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945).

...I was rather sad to see the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank was recently renamed the Hollywood Burbank Airport.

...It was interesting to learn that character actor Morris Ankrum had an actor son, David, whose work including dubbing the voice of Wedge in the original STAR WARS (1977).

...Attention Southern Californians: This Saturday, June 4th, there's an evening of Disney's Silly Symphonies at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, accompanied live by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. I saw these cartoons with an orchestra at last summer's D23 Expo, and it was a truly wonderful experience.

...The 30th Annual Last Remaining Seats series, showing classic films at great Downtown L.A. theatres, also kicks off Saturday. Movies will be shown at the Orpheum Theatre, the Million Dollar Theatre, and the Los Angeles Theatre, to name a few. (For a related post, please visit my 2014 photos of Los Angeles Movie Palaces.)

...More for Southern Californians: The work of Disney artist Eyvind Earle, who designed the look of SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), is on display at the Forest Lawn Glendale Museum through next New Year's Day.

...Be sure to check out my list of L.A. area classic film screenings coming up in June!

...Notable Passing: Maureen O'Hara's daughter, Brownwyn FitzSimons, passed away late last week. Her death comes just seven months after her mother's passing in October 2015.

...My last link roundup post may be found here.

Have a great week!

TCM in June: Highlights

Summertime is right around the corner, and it's time to take a look at the June schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

Marie Dressler, seen below, is the June Star of the Month beginning on Monday, June 6th. This month some Star of the Month information will be incorporated into this post, rather than being posted separately.

There are a couple other interesting series in June. On Wednesday and Thursday nights the TCM Spotlight series is From Stage to Screen, hosted by the husband-wife duo of Annette O'Toole and Michael McKean; Wednesdays will focus on dramas and comedies, with Thursdays devoted to musicals.

Every Friday night in June will be devoted to the films of writer-director Billy Wilder, and for good measure, there's another great evening of Treasures from the Disney Vault on June 28th!

Here's a look at just a few highlights for what promises to be a great month on TCM! Click on any hyperlinked title for the related review.

...I'm setting my DVR for Sonja Henie and Michael O'Shea in IT'S A PLEASURE (1945) on June 1st.

...The "Stage to Screen" movies on June 2nd include wonderful titles like SHOW BOAT (1936) with Irene Dunne, GOOD NEWS (1947) with June Allyson and Peter Lawford, and CABIN IN THE SKY (1943) with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Ethel Waters, and Lena Horne, plus several more. Be sure to check each Thursday evening on the schedule for lots of great musicals.

...The first evening of Billy Wilder films on June 3rd includes an all-time favorite comedy, THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942) with Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland.

...CROSS-COUNTRY ROMANCE (1940) is a little-known but very enjoyable romantic comedy starring Gene Raymond andWendy Barrie. It's on Saturday, June 4th.

...The first night of Marie Dressler films on June 6th features five movies, including THE PATSY (1928) with Marion Davies.

...I love creative programming such as "A Night in Brighton" on June 7th. The four titles include Richard Attenborough in BRIGHTON ROCK (1947), Fred and Ginger in THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934), and Margaret Lockwood in BANK HOLIDAY (1938).

...There's an amusing daytime theme on June 8th, "What About Bob?," featuring two films apiece starring Robert Ryan, Robert Montgomery Robert Mitchum, and Robert Taylor. Lots of watchable movies that day, with BORN TO BE BAD (1950) a particular favorite. BORN TO BE BAD stars Robert Ryan, Joan Fontaine, Zachary Scott, and Joan Leslie.

...The classic film noir THE BIG COMBO (1955), starring Cornel Wilde and Richard Conte, shows on June 9th. Don't miss this one, directed by Joseph Lewis and filmed in black and white by the great John Alton. The photo at the left gives just a hint of how great the movie looks.

...GIANT (1956) will be shown on June 11th. It's an excellent opportunity for those who aren't in traveling distance of the 60th Anniversary screening of the movie at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on June 23rd. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean star.

...Also on the 11th, right after GIANT stay tuned for two of the best movies ever made, RIO BRAVO (1959) and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944).

...Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd are the stars of the evening on Sunday, June 12th, with a terrific double bill of THE GLASS KEY (1942) and THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946).

...The second evening of Marie Dressler movies, airing June 13th, features four films, including Greta Garbo in ANNA CHRISTIE (1930).

...Only on TCM: An eight-film MEXICAN SPITFIRE marathon on June 16th. Lupe Velez, Leon Errol, and Donald Woods star; Woods was later replaced by Charles "Buddy" Rogers and then Walter Reed.

...Burt Lancaster, Yvonne DeCarlo, Dan Duryea, and Stephen McNally star in the great film noir CRISS CROSS (1949) on June 18th. Robert Siodmak directed.

...Father's Day is June 19th, and TCM celebrates with THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER (1963), LIFE WITH FATHER (1947), and FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950).

...Four more Marie Dressler films will be shown on June 20th, including MIN AND BILL (1930) with Wallace Beery and a pair of films with Polly Moran, REDUCING (1931) and POLITICS (1931).

...I'm especially pleased with a couple of "Bob's Picks" on June 21st. SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942) is a favorite Fox musical with Betty Grable and Victor Mature, and YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942) is probably my favorite film starring either Fred Astaire or Rita Hayworth. It's one of those "old favorites" I've been hoping to finally write about before too long!

...Brazil is the theme of the day on June 23rd, with titles including FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933), NANCY GOES TO RIO (1950), and LATIN LOVERS (1953).

...Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Paulette Goddard, Janet Gaynor, and Richard Carlson star in the delightful THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938) on June 25th.

...The final evening with Star of the Month Marie Dressler is June 27th, featuring four films, including DINNER AT EIGHT (1932) and TUGBOAT ANNIE (1933).

...The latest edition of Treasures From the Disney Vault is on Tuesday, June 28th. It's the seventh installment in this wonderful series, with Leonard Maltin returning as host. The evening includes one of my very favorite live-action Disney films, THE PARENT TRAP (1962), starring Hayley Mills; the great Donald Duck cartoon AN ADVENTURE IN COLOR: MATHMAGIC LAND (1961); more outstanding cartoons including Mickey Mouse in THE BAND CONCERT (1935) and the Oscar-winning Silly Symphony FLOWERS AND TREES (1932); and the documentary WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY (2009), along with several more titles. Set the DVR!

...Regular readers know how much I've enjoyed revisiting the films of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in recent months, thanks to wonderful sets from the Warner Archive. There's an entire day of seven MacDonald-Eddy films on June 29th; a couple of the films feature Eddy solo, since it's his birthday. Titles include favorites such as NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935), ROSE-MARIE (1936), and SWEETHEARTS (1938).

...As the month draws to a close, one of my favorite Esther Williams films, DUCHESS OF IDAHO (1950), will be shown on June 30th.

For more on TCM in June, please visit the online schedule.

Also, members of the new TCM Backlot club can page through and search the Now Playing guide online.

Happy viewing, and happy summer!

Tonight's Movie: Operation Petticoat (1959)

Earlier this year I mentioned that one of my goals this year is to watch and write about more of my old favorites, the movies which helped to make me the classic film fan I am today.

One of those movies, my all-time favorite Cary Grant film, is OPERATION PETTICOAT (1959). Memorial Day seemed like a fine time to revisit it; it may be a lighthearted take on the war, but it also makes clear the hard work and sacrifices of those who served.

For those who might not be familiar with it, OPERATION PETTICOAT is the tale of the USS SEA TIGER, a newly commissioned sub in the Pacific which is damaged in a December 1941 air attack. Lt. Commander Matt Sherman (Grant) and his newly assigned supply officer, Lt. Nick Holden (Tony Curtis), manage to scavenge enough parts to get the sub underway, headed for further repairs at an island dockyard.

Nothing proves easy, as the sub takes on five stranded nurses at its first stop. At the next island, unable to find enough paint for a primer coat, the SEA TIGER ends up painted pink! And somehow it also ends up with a couple of expectant mothers, a group of children, and a goat on board.

The war is, of course, a very serious thing, and Grant's Lt. Commander is dedicated to getting his ship into fighting shape and joining the war effort. At the same time, Grant's reactions to the ongoing unexpected and amusing incidents aboard his ship are a thing of beauty. He's the master of the calm, slow burn and the baffled double-take.

I've probably seen the movie 10 times over the years, and Grant's reaction to discovering an (unseen) pig hidden aboard his sub never fails to make me laugh till I cry. Then I laugh even harder as he explains to a suspicious MP that "Seaman Hornsby" is indisposed.

He's matched step for step by Curtis as the enterprising "scavenger" who has a lot to learn about life at sea but who has a genius for "going shopping" and obtaining needed parts (not to mention an illicit pig for a New Year's Day roast). Curtis is simply marvelous -- and darn cute -- and he and Grant make a wonderful comedy duo.

Nick also gradually matures under Matt's guidance, as a pleasing postscript makes clear.

The excellent cast includes Arthur O'Connell, Gene Evans, Virginia Gregg, Joan O'Brien, Marion Ross, Gavin MacLeod, Dick Sargent, Robert F. Simon, Madlyn Rhue, Clarence Lung, Robert Gist, and Robert (Bobby) Hoy.

One odd thing is that Dina Merrill, who plays Curtis's love interest, is over a decade older than stated in the script, and she's lovely but looks every year of her true age. She's only slightly older than Curtis so one wonders why the script couldn't have been rewritten to be more believable in this regard.

Today Merrill is 92. She's one of a few cast members who are still with us, including O'Brien, Ross, and MacLeod. (May 2017 Update: Dina Merrill has passed away at 93.)

OPERATION PETTICOAT was directed by Blake Edwards and filmed by Russell Harlan. The film's several writers were nominated for the Oscar for original story and screenplay.

OPERATION PETTICOAT is available on DVD and Blu-ray from Olive Films. The widescreen DVD looks great. (October 2017 Update: Olive will be reissuing OPERATION PETTICOAT in an Olive Signature edition with many extras included on the disc. My review of that edition is here.)

It also had a 1999 release on VHS.

This is a delightful film which is fun for the whole family; I loved it as a kid and in turn shared it with my own children.

The movie can also be a great way to begin to hook young people's interest in World War II history; they may jump, as some of my own children did, from this movie to more serious war films or some of the great books on the topic by authors such as Walter Lord.

Closing in on six decades after its original release, OPERATION PETTICOAT is still laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended.

Past Memorial Day weekend movie reviews include CAPTAINS OF THE CLOUDS (1942), STAND BY FOR ACTION (1942), GUADALCANAL DIARY (1943), THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (1945), THE FROGMEN (1951), DESTINATION GOBI (1953), RUN SILENT RUN DEEP (1958), THE GALLANT HOURS (1960), and THE LONGEST DAY (1962).

Tonight's Movie: Comrade X (1940) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr star in MGM's anti-Communist comedy COMRADE X (1940), available from the Warner Archive.

The movie was released in the Archive's early days, but has since had the original blue cover replaced with more attractive art.

The Archive has recently called attention to this and a number of other previously released titles which tie in with the new Archive documentary release, CINEMA'S EXILES: FROM HITLER TO HOLLYWOOD (2009), about filmmakers who emigrated from Europe to Hollywood in the '30s. The Vienna-born Lamarr was one of many who did so, along with cast member Felix Bressart, a Jew who was forced to leave Germany.

I thought it would be a good time to revisit the film, particularly in conjunction with viewing the Archive's brand-new release SONG OF RUSSIA (1944).

COMRADE X is a film I return to from time to time, most recently back in 2006 when I posted a very brief review; I love the cast, which also includes Eve Arden, yet whenever I see it, it must be admitted the movie is never quite as good as I hope it will be. Still, it's amusing and interesting, a fun reunion for BOOM TOWN (1940) costars Gable and Lamarr.

When it comes to MGM's approach to Soviet Russia, what a difference a few years make! While SONG OF RUSSIA is an extremely positive depiction of our ally in WWII, just four years earlier the studio absolutely skewered the Soviet Union in COMRADE X. Nor was it the first time the studio had done so, with NINOTCHKA (1939) having been released the previous year.

Everything about the Soviet Union is ripe for critical jokes in COMRADE X, whether it's the economy, censorship, citizens trapped inside the country's borders, or political executions. There's also a serious sequence where execution gunfire is heard.

Felix Bressart, who seems to have been in most of the movies I've watched this weekend, plays Vanya, who begs -- blackmails, actually -- American reporter McKinley Thompson (Gable) to rescue his daughter, the oddly named Theodore (Lamarr).

Theodore is a streetcar conductor who has bought into Communism hook, line and sinker, but her father wants to save her from it. In order to obtain Theodore's cooperation, Thompson convinces her she can spread the message of Communism if she leaves the country. Conveniently, Thompson needs to leave as well, as he's in danger himself due to smuggling out uncensored news stories.

And by the way, as part of the plan he's also going to have to marry her! She may be a stranger and a Communist, but since she looks like Hedy Lamarr, Gable's reporter doesn't protest overly much; in fact he's quickly sold on the idea of a future with his new wife.

Lamarr's deadpan performance may mirror Garbo's NINOTCHKA too closely, but while she takes a while to get going, she becomes more droll and animated about halfway through the movie and ultimately has some pretty funny moments.

Gable is Gable, and that's a good thing, cocky, daring and funny, just what one would hope of an enterprising American journalist in the Soviet Union. He also proves to be something of a romantic, pledging to keep his lovely new wife from being killed -- and admiring her very handy tank-driving skills.

The supporting cast includes Oskar Homolka, Sig Ruman, Natasha Lytess, Edgar Barrier, and Vladimir Sokoloff. Keye Luke appears in the opening sequence.

COMRADE X was directed by King Vidor from a screenplay by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer. It was filmed in black and white by Joseph Ruttenberg.

The Archive DVD is a good print. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection at Amazon and other online retailers.

Upcoming Southern California Classic Film Screenings

There are a number of interesting screenings taking place at L.A. area theaters over the next few weeks. Here's a quick overview:

*A new series, Marquee Movies, opens at UCLA on June 3rd, running through June 26th. I'm unfamiliar with most of the films, which all center on the moviegoing experience; the opening film, MATINEE (1993), starring John Goodman, sounds particularly interesting. I'll be attending FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933) and THIS WAY PLEASE (1937) on June 12th; both films will be shown in 35mm.

*The Academy is hosting the premiere of a new digital restoration of REBECCA (1940) on June 1st. The screening takes place in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Wilshire Boulevard.

*On June 23rd the Academy is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of GIANT (1956). Elsa Cardenas, who played Juana Benedict, will be present for a discussion. I have tickets to this screening, which also takes place at the Goldwyn Theater; I've always liked this film, and it will be my first chance to see it on a big screen. It will be shown in a digital presentation.

*The Disney Screen series at the Cinemark Century Theater in Huntington Beach will be showing SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) the week of June 10th through 16th. Other titles showing in the series that week include SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959) and ENCHANTED (2007). All screenings in this series, which has been running for nearly a year, are digital. I've seen close to a dozen films in the Disney Screen series and highly recommend it to anyone in driving distance. The prices are excellent, starting at a one-day pass to four movies for $5.00.

*One of my favorite movies, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), will be shown at the Egyptian Theatre on June 30th. It will be shown in a digital format.

On Memorial Day

Remembering, with deep gratitude, the brave men and women who gave all for our nation and our freedom.

Tonight's Movie: Song of Russia (1944) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Robert Taylor and Susan Peters star in the WWII musical propaganda film SONG OF RUSSIA (1944), recently released by the Warner Archive.

Taylor plays a world-famous American conductor. While on a goodwill concert tour in the Soviet Union he meets Nadya (Peters), a lovely pianist, and the two fall in love and marry against the backdrop of the German invasion of Russia.

I'm going to state flat-out that I love this movie! I've been waiting for the DVD for a long time, and I'm thrilled it's finally here.

That said, yes, SONG OF RUSSIA is more than a bit of a guilty pleasure, with its crazy pro-Stalinist Soviet propaganda; as the saying goes, war makes strange bedfellows.

At the same time, the mind-bending pro-Soviet slant is part of what makes the movie so wildly entertaining. The depiction of a Soviet Russia with peasants toiling happily in the fields by day and visiting swank nightclubs by night has to be seen to be believed. Only in the movies...!

I mean, the film has one of the sweetest, most demure movie heroines in history -- who's somehow also a superwoman who rides a tractor and teaches children to make Molotov cocktails. And she's also got time to be a world-class concert pianist!

But who cares if it's believable when the actress is Susan Peters; she's absolutely luminous, her eyes glowing, lovingly filmed by Harry Stradling Sr. She was a gift to the cinema, gracing us with her presence for far too short a time. It makes one's heart ache thinking of what was to come for her off camera.

This was Robert Taylor's last film before leaving for service in WWII, and he's the epitome of a Movie Star, dashing and oh-so-romantic. Taylor's real-life background as a classical musician in college -- he was an accomplished cellist before Hollywood beckoned -- lends a note of authenticity to his performance, although at times his conducting seems a bit overwrought and strangely out of sync with the music.

Just as the knowledgeable viewer will feel a certain sadness, knowing that Peters' light would shine too briefly in movies, it's painful to watch Taylor chain-smoking in this film, being aware he would die of lung cancer at 57. Peters' Nadya actually encourages him to cut back on the smoking in this film, which seems a bit unusual for a film of the era.

The movie epitomizes MGM's glamour and skill with musical films; the movie was produced by Joseph Pasternak, who produced many of Deanna Durbin's fine movies. The "Pasternak touch" is evident throughout when it comes to the presentation of the music.

I was a goner from the goose-bumpy moment Peters' Nadya gets the conductor's attention by sitting down and playing Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. The orchestra members, who have just ended a rehearsal, pick up their instruments and play along...it's a simply wonderful moment. The beautiful music throughout the film, combined with the Taylor-Peters romance, is more than enough to make this movie a winner for me.

It was especially interesting watching this the same weekend as two other WWII resistance films, TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) and THE WIFE TAKES A FLYER (1942). So far this Memorial Day weekend, without intending to, I've watched films about resistance fighters in Poland, Holland, and Russia! And it must be said that SONG OF RUSSIA builds to an inspiring conclusion, with a passionate victory speech by John Hodiak followed by Tschaikovsky.

It was a treat to see Darryl Hickman in this, just weeks after seeing him on the red carpet at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival.

The fine cast also includes Robert Benchley, Jacqueline White (THE NARROW MARGIN), Joan Lorring, Felix Bressart, Patricia Prest, and Vladimir Sokoloff. Look for Tommy Rall (SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS) as a dancing peasant at the wedding.

The film was directed by Russian-born Gregory Ratoff. Laslo Benedek also worked on the movie when Ratoff fell ill. The movie runs 107 minutes.

It's fascinating to take a look at Bosley Crowther's 1944 review in the New York Times; he calls it "a honey of a topical musical film, full of rare good humor, rich vitality and a proper respect for the Russians' fight in this war...a fine blend of music and image is achieved in the best cinematic style...Joseph Pasternak, producing for Metro, has imparted to this tale a buoyance and gusto quite similar to that of his earlier musical films."

For more on this film, please visit my 2010 review, posted after watching the movie via TCM.

The SONG OF RUSSIA print was newly remastered, yet I felt it doesn't look as good as most Warner Archive prints. There are no skips or major glitches, but there quite a few lines and streaks which are particularly noticeable during some of the quieter scenes with Taylor and Peters. Anyone who loves the movie as I do will want to own this DVD, but should know going in that the picture looks worn in spots.

The DVD includes the trailer.

Update: For a look at a very different MGM film set in the Soviet Union, also available from the Warner Archive, please visit my review of COMRADE X (1940).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection at Amazon and other online retailers.

A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3

This is the third of three posts sharing photographs from last month's visit to Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Part 1, including an introduction to this series, may be found here, and Part 2 is here.

This final post focuses on the Holy Cross Mausoleum, seen here:

Fred MacMurray and his wife, June Haver, are in a lovely corner with sunlight pouring in through stained glass.

Actor John Candy is immediately above MacMurray, Haver, and additional Haver family members:

Pianist Jose Iturbi, who added so much to MGM musicals. His sister Amparo, who also appeared in MGM films, is nearby.

Another MGM star, Mario Lanza:

Ray Bolger of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939):

Actress Marguerite Chapman:

Baseball player and GENERAL HOSPITAL star John Beradino:

The great cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca, who gave us OUT OF THE PAST (1947):

The Oscar-winning cinematographer Harry Stradling Sr.:

Joan Davis:

Still to come: A two-part series on last year's visit to Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.

Previously: A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery; A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians; A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians; A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors; A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors and More; A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1; A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2.