Debbie Reynolds, 1932-2016

Can't see the keyboard through the tears.

Todd Fisher says his mom "wanted to be with Carrie," who died yesterday.

Two extraordinary women who were each so important in my moviegoing life. I'll have more to say on the great Debbie Reynolds later.

My prayers are with Todd Fisher and Billie Lourd at this incredibly sad time.

Update: A Tribute to Debbie Reynolds.

Update: TCM Tribute to Debbie Reynolds on January 27th.

A Sad Farewell to Carrie Fisher

My daughter in Oregon just called with the news that Carrie Fisher has passed away.

It's not a surprise, as the initial reports of Carrie's medical situation sounded grim, but it's devastating news. She was such a huge part of my moviegoing life. I couldn't tell you how many hours I've spent with Carrie and STAR WARS. What joy she gave me, in so many unforgettable moments!

As I mentioned in my review, the most moving part of ROGUE ONE (2016) for me was sitting there 40 years later and watching the story circle around to the very beginning of STAR WARS and the plans being delivered to Princess Leia. It was an amazing moment.

As classic film fans we must regularly say farewell to the filmmakers who are important to us, and we accept it and move on, grateful for the work they leave behind. This passing, however, seems way too soon...and comes just as she was enjoying and embracing her iconic character in a whole new way.

She was in another film I love, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989), and she was also a gifted writer and "script doctor."

My thoughts are with her mother Debbie Reynolds, her daughter, and the rest of her family at this sad time.

Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia will be loved as long as movies exist.

December 28th Update: Debbie Reynolds, 1932-2016.

Also: A new video tribute, TCM Remembers Carrie Fisher.

December 29th Update: A Tribute to Debbie Reynolds.

2017 Update: A visit to Carrie and Debbie's final resting place at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

Tonight's Movie: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Clint Eastwood's quirky, atmospheric MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL (1997) is now available on a beautiful Blu-ray from the Warner Archive.

Clint Eastwood directed from a screenplay by John Lee Hancock, based on a novel by John Berendt.

John Cusack stars as John Kelso, a New York magazine writer who arrives in Savannah at Christmastime to write a feature on millionaire Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey).

Kelso immediately finds himself in a slightly off-kilter world, attending Christmas parties and meeting oddball characters, but things are about to get stranger still, when Williams shoots and kills Billy (Jude Law). Kelso now has a new assignment, covering the murder trial.

There's an array of colorful characters who will make great fodder for Kelso's writing, such as Williams' lawyer Sonny (Jack Thompson), who is the owner of the dog which is the University of Georgia mascot; Minerva (Irma P. Hall), who takes him on late-night cemetery visits for voodoo rituals; the cheerful cross-dresser Lady Chablis (who passed away last September); and the Married Ladies Card Club. And let's not forget the man who walks an invisible dog!

About the only fairly normal person Kelso meets is singer Mandy (Alison Eastwood), with whom he tentatively begins a relationship.

For the most part the film is engrossing, though I was impatient with Geoffrey Lewis's "fly man" character; it was completely unbelievable someone who acted in such an imbalanced way would be on a jury, even in this movie!

On the plus side, I loved the movie's ongoing tribute to Savannah native Johnny Mercer, beginning with a shot of his burial place as the film begins; his songs are heard throughout the movie.

Spacey is magnetic as Williams, and Cusack does a great job, his expressions often simultaneously conveying worry and an awed "I can't even believe what a great story this is!"

The film's leisurely pace seems to fit its subject matter, though in truth I started growing restless near the end of its 155 minutes. Trimming ten minutes or so -- particularly the fly man scenes -- would have probably been a wise idea.

The movie was filmed on location in Savannah by Jack N. Green.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated R for "language and brief violence." I would add to that that some of the themes are fairly adult.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is a terrific-looking widescreen print. The disc includes a featurette and the trailer.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the WBShop.

Christmas Day Wishes

Best wishes to all for the happiest of Christmases!

Above, lovely Betty Grable, whose centennial was recently noted here, celebrates the holiday by delivering several festively wrapped packages.

Merry Christmas!

Previously: 2012 (the Lockhart Family), 2013 (Priscilla Lane), 2014 (Martha Hyer), and 2015 (Andra Martin).

Merry Christmas!

Best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas!!

Tonight's Movie: Fast Five (2011)

The Fast and Furious series kicks into high gear and fires on all cylinders with FAST FIVE (2011).

FAST FIVE is a good-natured heist film in the style of OCEAN'S 11 (2001). It has the added plus of Dwayne Johnson costarring as a federal agent who might be the only man big enough and cagey enough to take on Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel).

The movie picks up exactly where FAST & FURIOUS (2009) left off, showing us how Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) spring Dom from a prison bus. Given that over half a decade passed between the second and third movies, it was nice to have that kind of continuity. In that regard it reminded me of the Jason Bourne series.

The trio end up living on the run in Rio. Mia and Brian are expecting a baby, so Dom proposes the proverbial "one last heist" in order to fund everyone going off into the sunset for a happy ending. To that end, he rounds up the old gang, including Tej (Ludacris), Han (Sung Kang), Gisele (Gal Gadot, the upcoming WONDER WOMAN), and Brian's old friend Roman (Tyrese Gibson).

Meanwhile federal agent Hobbs (Johnson) is hot on Dom and Brian's trail. As he closes in to make his arrests, he finds himself unexpectedly allied with our antiheroes. (One of Hobbs' best lines about Dom and Brian comes when he tells his fellow agents, "And above all else we don't ever, ever let them get into cars!" Loved it.)

One of the running things which is amusing in these movies is that despite being a crook, Dom is a stickler for saying grace before meals. And his most prized possession is the crucifix which belonged to his late girlfriend Letty. Yet he doesn't seem to see the disconnect between that and his lifestyle...

This is a fun movie which is satisfying on multiple levels, including humor, great action set pieces, and quieter moments in which we watch relationships deepen. Familiarity with the characters developed over several films makes it even more enjoyable.

FAST FIVE was directed by Justin Lin and filmed by Stephen Windon. It runs 131 minutes.

Parental Advisory: FAST FIVE is rated PG-13 for extensive non-graphic cartoon violence and some mild sexual content.

FAST FIVE is on DVD and Blu-ray. It can currently be streamed on Amazon.

FAST FIVE follows THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001), 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS (2003), and FAST & FURIOUS (2009). A related film, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (2006), takes place after FAST & FURIOUS 6 (2013).

Quick Preview of TCM in March

The March schedule for Turner Classic Movies was recently posted!

The March Star of the Month is Richard Burton.

The first three days of the month are the conclusion of the 31 Days of Oscar series, which starts February 1st, so the March schedule begins in earnest on March 4th.

It's of note, given recent trends on the channel, that the prime time 8:00 Eastern/5:00 Pacific time slot features a film made in the 1960s or later on 13 of the 28 days on the post-Oscar series March schedule. A portion of that statistic is due to Burton being Star of the Month.

The most exciting news regarding the March schedule is that TCM is showing the rarely seen Universal film ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST (1948) on March 31st. It stars Ann Blyth, Fredric March, Dan Duryea, and Edmond O'Brien.

Also of note in March is another evening of Treasures From the Disney Vault, featuring Fred MacMurray in FOLLOW ME, BOYS! (1966), along with several animal-themed films such as CHARLIE, THE LONESOME COUGAR (1967) and THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY (1963). This series has been simply wonderful, including the enthusiastic, knowledgeable introductions by Leonard Maltin. Long may it continue!

March will include tributes to Guy Kibbee, Katharine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and directors S. Sylvan Simon and Yasujiro Ozu. Only on TCM would you find days celebrating both an MGM "B" movie director and a Japanese master filmmaker!

March themes include biographies, athletes, Rome, and the Yukon. And, as always, St. Patrick's Day is filled with Irish-themed films!

Jane Wyman will be Star of the Month in January, with the annual 31 Days of Oscar fest in February.

Update: For more information on TCM in March 2017, please visit TCM in March: Highlights.

Tonight's Movie: Rogue One (2016)

ROGUE ONE (2016), also known as ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, was the third new film I saw in a theater last weekend. It was a great movie weekend which also included MISS SLOANE (2016) and LA LA LAND (2016).

I write this just as the distressing news has broken that Carrie Fisher, beloved to all as Princess Leia, is critically ill following a heart attack during a long-distance flight today. The reports sound quite serious, and my prayers are with her.

Fisher's importance to the STAR WARS saga was brought home anew by ROGUE ONE. While the film was dark but inspiring, telling the story of the Rebels who sacrificed to obtain the critical Death Star plans which are in Princess Leia's hands at the start of STAR WARS (1977), the only part which made me cry was the last scene. In that thrilling final sequence, we're brought full circle to the start of the original film, aka A NEW HOPE. For someone who saw the first film when it came out, it was a profound moment to arrive back at the beginning of it all, forty years on, and the context established by ROGUE ONE now gives the first film considerably more weight.

ROGUE ONE tells the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), whose father (Mads Mikkelson) is forced by Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to help build the Death Star for Darth Vader (voiced once more by James Earl Jones) and the Empire.

Scenes of the young Jyn hiding as her father is taken away rather called to mind the start of THE SEARCHERS (1956). Years later, when Jyn is a young woman, her father slips out a message with a defecting Empire pilot (Riz Ahmed) that he has hidden a critical flaw in the Death Star, which can destroy the entire thing if it's exploited.

Jyn is recruited by Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) and the Rebel Alliance to help find her father; eventually Jyn, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and other volunteers take off from the Rebel base on an unauthorized, seemingly impossible mission to obtain the plans, on a ship dubbed "Rogue One."

ROGUE ONE is a strong film with a meaty story which I was still contemplating days later. STAR WARS fans will be satisfied with it from the first moments of "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." even if the film is sadly missing the familiar 20th Century-Fox fanfare and CinemaScope extension music, given that it's now a Disney property!

Like THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), it's somewhat difficult for me to write objectively about STAR WARS films, due to the great importance they have had in my movie-going life. In fact, I intended to review last year's THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) after seeing it a second time and still haven't tried to write about that one!

The only real problem with the film, to my mind, is that it was disconcerting that there were significant changes from the trailers seen in months past, including scenes which caused considerable anticipation among fans. Key among the missing moments: Jyn telling Mon Mothma: "This is a rebellion, isn't it? I rebel."

The changes, which some speculate took place after reshoots, seem to have softened Jyn's character, which might not have been a good thing.

Perhaps most surprising to me, which has led to interesting discussions elsewhere online, is that a long-dead actor has a large role in the film. I knew he would be in it and was expecting a couple distant shots for old times' sake. Instead, he was somehow "reanimated" and brought back to life via computer wizardry to give an extended "performance."  While this was done with the cooperation of the actor's estate and admittedly rather added to the character's creepiness, I'm not sure I'm on board with this sort of thing becoming the norm!

There are brief, crowd-pleasing nods to other familiar faces; in addition to characters from the original trilogy, Jimmy Smits briefly reprises his role from more recent films as Bail Organa, adoptive father of Princess Leia.

All in all this is a very good, worthwhile film, although the somber plot is such that I'm not sure it will have the same "rewatch value" as the original trilogy.

ROGUE ONE was directed by Gareth Edwards and filmed by Greig Fraser. It runs 133 minutes.

The good score is by Michael Giacchino (THE INCREDIBLES). It sparingly mixes in some of John Williams' original STAR WARS themes at appropriate moments.

Parental Advisory: ROGUE ONE is rated PG-13 for "extended scenes of sci-fi violence and action." While it's not graphic, this is not a STAR WARS film for young children, who may be disconcerted by the film's final minutes.

Trailers and videos are available at the ROGUE ONE page on the official STAR WARS website.

Tonight's Movie: Jackie (2016)

Natalie Portman is outstanding as JACKIE (2016), a new film about the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination.

I've seen any number of Kennedy biopics over the years, and while some have been stronger than others, the viewer doesn't tend to forget that we're watching actors; they may look the role, but we are always conscious that they are simply shadows of the real people.

That isn't the case at all with JACKIE, where Portman so forcefully inhabits her part that the "acting" disappears. While I'm not sure her characterization matched my surface perceptions of Jacqueline Kennedy, she creates a fascinating, rounded character in a rich, substantive performance.

As a reporter (Billy Crudup) interviews Jackie shortly after her husband's death, the film smoothly moves backwards and forwards in time, contrasting Jackie's appearances giving the famous TV White House tour and hosting a concert by Pablo Casals with how she copes following the assassination. Whether in happier times or enduring tragedy, she stylishly crafts memorable events with images which have remained in the public consciousness for decades.

Portman's Jackie is a woman of paradoxes -- brittle yet gracious; a loving wife who acknowledges her marriage was not completely happy; a woman of faith who struggles to believe; a caring mother who spends considerable time away from her young children and who is questioned by some for not sheltering them from their father's funeral, as she wanted the public to see and understand what the family has lost.

Some may forget or perhaps be unaware that just three months prior to her husband's death, Jackie had experienced the death of her newborn son Patrick, the second of her four children to die, so she was reeling from a pair of losses in short succession in November 1963. And not only did she lose a husband and son, but her husband's death also meant she abruptly lost her position as First Lady.

The film's main theme is the way Jackie consciously chooses to craft the "Camelot" mythology after the President's death, working to ensure he would be remembered as Lincoln was, rather than relatively forgotten like Presidents Garfield and McKinley, who were also assassinated while in office.

As she grieves and plans the state ceremonies, she also tries to make sure life goes on happily for her children, celebrating her young son's birthday just three days after his father's death.

One might not think it's possible to look at the Kennedy story in a fresh way, but JACKIE manages to do so, which is quite a feat. It's a compelling, interesting film which runs a well-paced 100 minutes; incidentally, it's nice to see a newer movie dare to be shorter than two hours.

The lead actors in the supporting cast are Peter Sarsgaard as Bobby Kennedy, Greta Gerwig as Jackie's aide Nancy Tuckerman, and John Hurt as a priest who counsels Jackie amidst the funeral planning. John Carroll Lynch and Beth Grant play Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson.

JACKIE was directed by Pablo Larrain from a script by Noah Oppenheim. It was filmed by Stephane Fontaine.

Parental Advisory: JACKIE is rated R for the graphic assassination scene and some language. I found it easy to avoid looking at the screen during the violent moments. Other than that scene, I believe JACKIE is fine for older children with an interest in Presidential history.

For more on JACKIE, please read reviews by Leonard Maltin ("an altogether remarkable piece of work") and Kenneth Turan ("transporting, transfixing").

A trailer is here.

Recommended.

Tonight's Movie: Fast & Furious (2009)

Juggling my biggest work crunch of the year with Christmas shopping and holiday goings-on has left me without much time for blogging the past couple of weeks!

I'm now on vacation, and the tree is decorated, cards are sent, and gifts are wrapped, so I'm looking forward to being able to return to a more regular blogging schedule!

FAST & FURIOUS (2009) was a fun way to kick off my time off today. This slam-bang action film is the very definition of the term "popcorn movie." It might be a bit of a guilty pleasure, given that the lead characters aren't always on the side of law and order, but it's also quite entertaining.

FAST & FURIOUS is the third film in the series, at least in terms of story chronology, following THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001) and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS (2003). The 2006 film THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, while filmed a few years before FAST & FURIOUS, actually fits after FAST & FURIOUS 6 (2013) storywise.

It's been five years since Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) last saw each other, when cop Brian allowed Dom to escape the law. Brian, having expunged his record, is now back in L.A. working for the FBI.

Dom has been on the run for years but returns to L.A. to avenge the death of his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Dom and Brian find common cause as they both are after the drug kingpin responsible for Letty's murder.

Meanwhile Brian rekindles his relationship with Dom's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), as they each find that despite the passage of time, they still have strong feelings for one another.

FAST & FURIOUS starts with an action sequence that's nothing short of insane, and I'm told the action sequences become even more unbelievable -- and more exciting -- in the films which follow. There are so many unexpected twists and turns to the action scenes that I found myself gasping out loud multiple times.

As the movie ends it's implied that Brian is once again leaving law and order behind; in the next film, FAST FIVE (2011), Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson makes his first appearance as a federal agent on Dom and Brian's trail. Sounds like more good times ahead.

Like the first movie, much of FAST & FURIOUS was shot around Los Angeles, which makes it particularly fun for a viewer familiar with the area. Dom and Mia's house is on Kensington Road not far from Dodger Stadium.

FAST & FURIOUS was directed by Justin Lin. It was filmed by Amir Mokri. The running time is 107 minutes.

Parental Advisory: FAST & FURIOUS is rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality, and violent action. The action scenes are what I call "cartoon violence," not graphic.

FAST & FURIOUS is on DVD and Blu-ray. It can be rented for streaming at Amazon.

Michele Morgan Dies at 96

French actress Michele Morgan has died at the age of 96.

Morgan, who was born in 1920, died in France on December 20, 2016.

Obituaries have been published by the New York Times and Deadline.

Two of Morgan's films are special to me: The Frank Sinatra musical HIGHER AND HIGHER (1943), which was a childhood favorite of mine, and the steamy, strange film noir THE CHASE (1946). She's seen below with Robert Cummings in THE CHASE:

Morgan's films also included JOAN OF PARIS (1942), PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE (1944), and THE FALLEN IDOL (1948).

TCM Remembers 2016

TCM's annual salute to filmmakers who have passed on in the previous year is now available online.

The 2016 TCM Remembers tribute can be viewed via TCM's Twitter account or at the TCM website.

I was particularly glad to see that former child actress Joan Carroll of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) was included. The video also made me aware of the passing of "B" Westerns leading lady Ruth Terry.

I do wish Noreen Corcoran and Lyn Wilde had also been part of the tribute, but all in all TCM always does a fine job with these videos.

Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away right after the video was released and was edited in.

Since TCM released the video, word has come of the passing of French actress Michele Morgan at the age of 96. More on that will follow in a separate post.

Past TCM tribute posts: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

December 28th Update: TCM has now updated the video, adding Zsa Zsa Gabor and Carrie Fisher.

Sadly, TCM must now also add Carrie's mom, Debbie Reynolds.

Tonight's Movie: La La Land (2016)

The new musical LA LA LAND (2016), the second of three new movies I watched this weekend, was one of my most anticipated films of the year.

While I think reviewers were so thrilled to see something really original that they might have oversold it a bit, I very much enjoyed it. It's a colorful, creative film with a good score which celebrates musicals and the city of Los Angeles, at its shiny best. What's not to like?

The movie had me from the opening moments when the word "CinemaScope" was splashed across the screen, and I was charmed until the final "Made in Hollywood USA."

The opening number, "Another Day of Sun," finds our hero and heroine first crossing paths at the end of a song and dance on the freeway. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) don't have a positive encounter this time around, but they soon will.

I'll pause here to note a couple minor things which pulled me "out of the movie" during "Another Day of Sun" -- first, why are the cars on both sides of a cement center divider headed the same direction? Second, the light changes noticeably toward the end of the number, letting the audience know that filming stretched into the afternoon.

Onward. Mia is an aspiring actress who works in a coffee joint on the Warner Bros. lot, which provides a great opportunity to show off the backlot, such as the street seen in CASABLANCA (1942), pictured below; a character even mentions the connection.

Mia and Sebastian cross paths again, eventually forming more positive impressions of each other and becoming a couple. But jazz pianist Sebastian has difficult decisions to make -- he can pay the bills with a lucrative gig traveling with a band, but it means deferring other dreams...and being away from Mia for extended periods of time.

I'll share two more critical comments here before moving on to the things I liked. First, the sound balancing was very inconsistent. Gosling and Stone, who are excellent in the film, are fine singers, but they don't have belter voices, and at times the instrumentals drown out their lyrics. My daughter, who saw it separately, also commented she had some trouble with that, so it appears to be an issue with the film itself and not a theater.

Second, the strum und drang of Mia and Seb's relationship problems undercuts the charm in the last third of the movie. While some have praised the plot's bittersweet aspects as keeping the movie "grounded," I felt those plot points were dangerously close to leaden; I think the movie should have had the courage of its convictions and gone full "MGM musical" for a completely happy ending.

With these caveats, I had a wonderful time at LA LA LAND and found much to love; its 128 minutes flew by. More movies like this, which combine appreciating cinema's past with taking risks and daring to be different from present-day films, would be a good thing.

Classic film fans will enjoy the film tremendously, from the posters on Mia's bedroom wall to the great L.A. locations to the previously mentioned tour of the Warner Bros. backlot.

Musical fans will enjoy the influences of Vincente Minnelli, Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly, and Jacques Demy. While a lengthy homage to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) at movie's end is most obvious -- indeed, Gene Kelly's widow Patricia was acknowledged in the end credits -- I also saw reflections of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), ON THE TOWN (1949), THE BAND WAGON (1953), and more. It will be fun to go back to the film looking for additional bits inspired by favorite movies of years past.

LA LA LAND was filmed in gorgeous candybox colors by Linus Sandgren, with costume designs by Mary Zophres. The excellent score was composed by Justin Hurwitz. LA LA LAND was written and directed by Damien Chazelle.

LA LA LAND is very much recommended. This one is certain to end up on my DVD shelf a few months from now.

Parental Advisory: LA LA LAND is a very mild PG-13.

A trailer can be seen here.

Coming soon: A review of ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016). (Here is the review.)

A Centennial Tribute to Betty Grable

Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of sparkling film star Betty Grable.

Grable was born December 18, 1916, in St. Louis, Missouri.

WWII's most famous pin-up girl was quite simply a delight on screen. While Grable's film career lasted many years, she is perhaps most beloved for cheering wartime audiences while singing, dancing, and romancing in colorful Fox confections such as DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940), MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942), and SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES (1942).

She famously married Harry James, a union which lasted 22 years. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica. Neither Grable nor James remarried after their 1965 divorce; James passed away in 1983.

Betty Grable was just 56 at the time of her death on July 2, 1973.

Betty Grable movies reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: OLD MAN RHYTHM (1935), THIS WAY PLEASE (1937), DOWN ARGENTINE WAY (1940), A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (1941), MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942), SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES (1942), CONEY ISLAND (1943), and THAT LADY IN ERMINE (1948).

Some additional notable Betty Grable titles: FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936), TIN PAN ALLEY (1940), FOOTLIGHT SERENADE (1942), SWEET ROSIE O'GRADY (1943), PIN UP GIRL (1944), THE DOLLY SISTERS (1945), THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM (1947), MOTHER WORE TIGHTS (1947), WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME (1948), MY BLUE HEAVEN (1950), CALL ME MISTER (1951), and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953).

Update: Here are more Grable movie review links: MELODY CRUISE (1933), in which she had a bit role, PIN UP GIRL (1944), and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953).

2022 Update: I paid a visit to Betty Grable's final resting place at Inglewood Park Cemetery.

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