Around the Blogosphere This Week
...California Assembly Bill 1687, if signed into law, will criminalize the publishing of accurate ages of actors who "opt out" at select websites such as IMDb. Here's more from the Hollywood Reporter. The mind boggles...what about free speech? If actors can suppress their birthdates in the belief it will help them get more roles, it seems a mighty slippery slope...what if an actor believes having a certain credit on their IMDb page will negatively affect a job hunt, can that be suppressed too?
...Kristina's August Film Diary includes some good Jock Mahoney and Rory Calhoun Westerns. Her diaries are always a fun read which make me want to check out some of the movies!
...For those who have wondered about the unusual design of the Hollywood and Highland Center on Hollywood Boulevard, here's background on how some of the elements were inspired by the D.W. Griffith film INTOLERANCE (1916)....My friend Aurora was recently interviewed by Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog. Topics included Aurora's ongoing video series Classic Movies and More.
...At Classic Film Observations and Obsessions Jocelyn reports on last month's Capitolfest in Rome, New York, and Kellee fills us in on the Robert Taylor Tribute in Beatrice, Nebraska, at her blog Outspoken and Freckled.
...Yul Brynner's daughter Victoria was recently interviewed regarding her memories of THE KING AND I (1956).
...The Oakridge Estate, once the home of Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor, and later the home of Jack Oakie and his wife, is now giving monthly tours. Thanks to Melanie for the info.
...Coming in November: VAN JOHNSON'S HOLLYWOOD: A FAMILY ALBUM by his daughter, Schuyler Johnson.
...100 days until the release of ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016)!...Last week I mentioned the Ryan Gosling-Emma Stone musical LA LA LAND (2016), which opens the same day as ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, December 16th. The movie just screened at the Venice Film Festival, and one reviewer pronounced it "an absolute triumph." It also got high praise from Tom Hanks, whose new film SULLY (2016) opens this Friday.
...Notable Passings: Actor Hugh O'Brian, the star of the TV Western THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP (1955-61), has passed away at 91. The L.A. Times has posted an obituary...Director Leslie H. Martinson, director of countless TV series, has died at the age of 101. Martinson is special to me as the director of 18 episodes of my favorite TV series, MAVERICK...Kathleen Brigid O'Brien, the youngest child of actor Pat O'Brien, has passed on at the age of 70...Character actor Jon Polito has died at 65...There will be a public tribute to the late SUPERMAN actress Noel Neill this November 5th in Metropolis, Illinois.
...For even more classic film links, please check out last week's roundup.
Have a great week!
posted by Laura @ 12:30 AM
7 Comments:
Thanks for the mention, Laura!
Lots of interesting news, both sad and happy.
Thanks for the mention! That's always the goal, getting people to want to see more movies! Found that article on H&H really interesting! I would give anything to talk to a MUMMY lol as per Bradbury's idea. Maybe a dumb question but does the gate really frame the Hollywood sign? Kicking myself if I didn't notice that! LA LA Land looks cool, I really liked Whiplash by the same director, Damien Chazelle.
fascinating to read about the Barbara Stanwyck /Robert Taylor house. And the Robert Taylor festival.
The Van Johnson book is listed at $65 for 126 pages. A bit steep.
Thanks as always for the links .
Thanks to you all for the comments!
Jacqueline, thanks to your interview I know some folks who started watching Aurora's video series!
You definitely are successful interesting people in movies, Kristina! :) Good question on the framing of the sign -- it seems possible but I never paid attention!
I'd love to tour the Stanwyck/Taylor house sometime, Vienna!
That Johnson book must be from a small publisher to be such a high price...be interesting to learn more about it when it's out.
Best wishes,
Laura
The IMDB thing is chilling to me as all. Normal people don't have that option. When an employer does a background check, a lot worse things than age could be found out and we don't have the option to block things. I understand actors want to protect themselves, but perhaps the industry is the problem. In early films there is almost always some representation of old people. Today there doesn't seem to be and the ones that are only include old people trying to be 'cool' ala Robert De Niro's atrocity, 'Dirty Grandpa' (How can you go from 'Godfather' to this?). Society needs to be comfortable with people aging. It's life. Old people actually interact with society but are rarely represented well or at all in films. And yes, you probably don't want to always play the grandma in films, but there are many cherished character actors whose entire careers were filled with those roles. I wish the industry could stop being about youth and learn to be about truth.
Good points, Amanda.
Regarding your final sentence, I don't recall my exact quote but I said something about this issue on Twitter along the lines that Hollywood needed to grow up and be willing to deal with the truth. Some actor said that statement was "condescending," then promptly blocked me and "subtweeted" more rude comments (i.e., said them without tagging me). I'm sure he didn't get the irony that his behavior was the perfect illustration for my comment LOL.
Just as an aside, today I saw JASON BOURNE and the villain was 70-year-old Tommy Lee Jones.
Best wishes,
Laura
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