The Hollywood Blacklist ruined dozens of lives. United States-based artists who were sympathetic to, or even curious about, communism were demonized as traitors to their country and, due to hysterical pressure from The House Committee on Un-American Activities (aka Huac), banned from working in the industry. Disgraced and unemployed, blacklisted individuals were forced to leave the country if they wanted to continue working or, if they could not afford to relocate, find a line of work where being an alleged communist wasn't frowned upon. This latter option was, of course, dismally unlikely. The mental and financial burden of being completely shunned from one's industry was so unbearable that it led actor Philip Loeb to die by suicide.
This put Hollywood at war against itself. Anyone suspected of having communist ties was pressured to come clean and, if they wanted to continue working, name names (a cowardly practice savaged by films...
This put Hollywood at war against itself. Anyone suspected of having communist ties was pressured to come clean and, if they wanted to continue working, name names (a cowardly practice savaged by films...
- 5/25/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The 1962 war epic "The Longest Day" starred the infamously brusque John Wayne as Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin H. Vandervoort, a real-life American soldier who was present for the titular "day," aka D-Day. Wayne was 55 at the time of filming, however, making him a full 28 years older than Vandervoort was on June 6, 1944. Wayne was still a major star, though, so the filmmakers simply had to ignore the massive age gap.
The studios also had to begrudgingly pay Wayne a massive $250,000 for his work, which was 10 times larger than most of the film's other stars. It seems that Wayne sought such a high salary not because of greed or ego, but out of spite. Wayne, you see, had a beef with 20th Century Fox executive Daryl F. Zanuck, and the actor wanted to actively butt heads with the CEO. It wasn't that Wayne wanted the money, he just wanted to make sure that Zanuck didn't have it.
The studios also had to begrudgingly pay Wayne a massive $250,000 for his work, which was 10 times larger than most of the film's other stars. It seems that Wayne sought such a high salary not because of greed or ego, but out of spite. Wayne, you see, had a beef with 20th Century Fox executive Daryl F. Zanuck, and the actor wanted to actively butt heads with the CEO. It wasn't that Wayne wanted the money, he just wanted to make sure that Zanuck didn't have it.
- 5/24/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The studio once known as 20th Century Fox is a younger entity than the other major Hollywood Studios. It was founded in 1935 out of the ashes of Fox Film, compared to Warner Bros (1923), Universal Pictures (1912), Paramount Pictures (1912), Columbia Pictures (1923), and Disney (1923) — the latter being the new parent company of 20th Century Studios.
Still, Fox waited only seven years to take home the top prize at the Oscars. At the 14th Academy Awards, held in 1942, Fox's film "How Green Was My Valley" won Best Picture, presented to Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck. That wasn't the only prize "Valley" won that night: it also got Best Director (John Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Arthur Miller), and finally Best Art Direction -- Interior Decoration, Black-and-White.
One of the films that "Valley" beat that night was "Citizen Kane" (which got only Best Original Screenplay for director Orson Welles and his co-writer Herman J.
Still, Fox waited only seven years to take home the top prize at the Oscars. At the 14th Academy Awards, held in 1942, Fox's film "How Green Was My Valley" won Best Picture, presented to Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck. That wasn't the only prize "Valley" won that night: it also got Best Director (John Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Arthur Miller), and finally Best Art Direction -- Interior Decoration, Black-and-White.
One of the films that "Valley" beat that night was "Citizen Kane" (which got only Best Original Screenplay for director Orson Welles and his co-writer Herman J.
- 5/7/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Much has been made about the smoky sexiness of Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," notably the brief threesome scene near the beginning of the movie. While the scene is plenty sexy, it constitutes the bulk of the on-screen physicality of "Challengers," and it is, perhaps disappointingly, relegated to about 90 seconds of tongue kissing; Guadagnino's film is not the bisexual throuple film the ad campaign would have you believe it is.
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
- 4/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Hollywood Reporter thanks the following 322 members of the global film community — listed alphabetically — for taking the time to cast a ballot to help us determine the 100 greatest film books of all time.
Seth Abramovitch
The Hollywood Reporter journalist/It Happened in Hollywood podcast host
Jo Addy
Soho House group film and entertainment director
Casey Affleck
Oscar-winning actor
Rutanya Alda
Author/actress
Stephanie Allain
Filmmaker
Victoria Alonso
Filmmaker/executive
Tony Angellotti
Publicist
Bonnie Arnold
Filmmaker/executive
Miguel Arteta
Filmmaker
Chris Auer
Filmmaker/film professor
John Badham
Filmmaker/film professor
Amy Baer
Executive
Matt Baer
Filmmaker
Lindsey Bahr
Journalist
Ramin Bahrani
Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Cameron Bailey
Toronto International Film Festival CEO/former film critic
John Bailey
Cinematographer/former Academy president
Bela Bajaria
Executive
Sean Baker
Filmmaker
Alec Baldwin
Oscar-nominated actor/author
Tino Balio
Author/film professor
Jeffrey Barbakow
Executive
Michael Barker
Executive
Mike Barnes
The Hollywood Reporter journalist
Jeanine Basinger
Author/film...
Seth Abramovitch
The Hollywood Reporter journalist/It Happened in Hollywood podcast host
Jo Addy
Soho House group film and entertainment director
Casey Affleck
Oscar-winning actor
Rutanya Alda
Author/actress
Stephanie Allain
Filmmaker
Victoria Alonso
Filmmaker/executive
Tony Angellotti
Publicist
Bonnie Arnold
Filmmaker/executive
Miguel Arteta
Filmmaker
Chris Auer
Filmmaker/film professor
John Badham
Filmmaker/film professor
Amy Baer
Executive
Matt Baer
Filmmaker
Lindsey Bahr
Journalist
Ramin Bahrani
Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Cameron Bailey
Toronto International Film Festival CEO/former film critic
John Bailey
Cinematographer/former Academy president
Bela Bajaria
Executive
Sean Baker
Filmmaker
Alec Baldwin
Oscar-nominated actor/author
Tino Balio
Author/film professor
Jeffrey Barbakow
Executive
Michael Barker
Executive
Mike Barnes
The Hollywood Reporter journalist
Jeanine Basinger
Author/film...
- 10/12/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A few of the industry heavyweights who cast ballots to help determine The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the 100 greatest film books of all time agreed to share a few words with THR about a film book that they especially treasure.
Below, you can read actor Alec Baldwin gush about his “favorite show business memoir,” marketing exec Terry Press explain why she owns three copies of “the only book dedicated to one of the most iconic screen teams,” studio chief Tom Rothman reveal which how-to book he gives to every young executive who comes to work for him and actor Robert Wagner on the biography of an oft-caricatured golden age studio mogul that actually captures the “vulnerable human being” who met some 70 years ago.
Alec Baldwin on By Myself, by Lauren Bacall By Myself
“I had always admired Lauren Bacall as an actress throughout her career, beginning as a young...
Below, you can read actor Alec Baldwin gush about his “favorite show business memoir,” marketing exec Terry Press explain why she owns three copies of “the only book dedicated to one of the most iconic screen teams,” studio chief Tom Rothman reveal which how-to book he gives to every young executive who comes to work for him and actor Robert Wagner on the biography of an oft-caricatured golden age studio mogul that actually captures the “vulnerable human being” who met some 70 years ago.
Alec Baldwin on By Myself, by Lauren Bacall By Myself
“I had always admired Lauren Bacall as an actress throughout her career, beginning as a young...
- 10/12/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The demon Valak, aka The Nun, is among the most infamous faces in "The Conjuring" universe. Aside from perhaps the doll Annabelle, Valak's image looms over the franchise more than any other. According to a lawsuit put forth by actress Bonnie Aarons (via The Hollywood Reporter), who played the character in "The Conjuring 2," "The Nun," and "The Nun 2," the character shows up on official merch a lot, too. Now, Aarons is asking for a cut of royalties she says she's owed, alleging via a suit obtained by THR that Warner Bros. has been exploiting her "talent, creativity, and likeness."
"The Princess Diaries" and "Mulholland Drive" actress is reportedly suing Warner Bros, New Line Cinema, and Scope Productions for breach of contract, citing a clause in her contract that ensured her a "pro-rata share" on all merch with her likeness, which her suit alleges has included "toys, dolls, decorations,...
"The Princess Diaries" and "Mulholland Drive" actress is reportedly suing Warner Bros, New Line Cinema, and Scope Productions for breach of contract, citing a clause in her contract that ensured her a "pro-rata share" on all merch with her likeness, which her suit alleges has included "toys, dolls, decorations,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Oscar-winning actor John Wayne worked with many women over the course of his filmography. However, he had some divisive politics when it came to folks who came from different backgrounds. Wayne once talked about his perspective on the women’s movement, especially as it applied to female grips working on movie sets.
John Wayne thought women should be paid equally to men John Wayne | Martin Mills/Getty Images
Scott Eyman wrote about some of the most problematic sides of the actor in John Wayne: The Life and Legend, including his perception of women. However, he didn’t completely shut out other folks getting equal treatment to himself. Wayne didn’t approve of the pay disparity between the sexes, especially when it came to accomplishing the same task at hand.
“I have always felt that women should get exactly the same salary for the same work that a man would,” Wayne said.
John Wayne thought women should be paid equally to men John Wayne | Martin Mills/Getty Images
Scott Eyman wrote about some of the most problematic sides of the actor in John Wayne: The Life and Legend, including his perception of women. However, he didn’t completely shut out other folks getting equal treatment to himself. Wayne didn’t approve of the pay disparity between the sexes, especially when it came to accomplishing the same task at hand.
“I have always felt that women should get exactly the same salary for the same work that a man would,” Wayne said.
- 4/16/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Movie star John Wayne had strong feelings regarding the Vietnam War. Some actors steered clear of making their political beliefs public to avoid alienating moviegoing audiences. However, Wayne and Oscar-winner Jane Fonda stood up for what they thought was right. The Western actor criticized Fonda and her husband, who she called an “idiot,” for their criticisms of the Vietnam War.
John Wayne rallied his support for the Vietnam War John Wayne | Screen Archives/Getty Images
Wayne became synonymous with the image of nationalism within America. He’s frequently criticized for not serving during World War II during the draft, which many of his peers did. This forever put a stain on his hero image, which he then felt that he needed to rectify. As a result, Wayne thought that he served in another way with the feature films that he made that boosted the image of the U.S. military and its citizens.
John Wayne rallied his support for the Vietnam War John Wayne | Screen Archives/Getty Images
Wayne became synonymous with the image of nationalism within America. He’s frequently criticized for not serving during World War II during the draft, which many of his peers did. This forever put a stain on his hero image, which he then felt that he needed to rectify. As a result, Wayne thought that he served in another way with the feature films that he made that boosted the image of the U.S. military and its citizens.
- 4/15/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Movie star John Wayne was primarily an actor, but he had no shortage of thoughts regarding public image. He held his own in high esteem, but he also viewed his peers through a similar lens. Therefore, this was one of the methods that he used to establish his opinion about some of those in Hollywood. Wayne thought an Oscar-nominated actor ruined his public image for the sake of a single movie role.
John Wayne carefully crafted his public image John Wayne | Avalon/Getty Images
Beyond the cultural impact that Wayne had with his feature films, he also became a cultural icon thanks to the masculinity he exuded and his morality. His image ultimately aligned with America, becoming one and the same, as he pushed patriotism through his public appearances and his feature film performances.
Wayne very carefully crafted his public image, and he refused to tear that down with role selection.
John Wayne carefully crafted his public image John Wayne | Avalon/Getty Images
Beyond the cultural impact that Wayne had with his feature films, he also became a cultural icon thanks to the masculinity he exuded and his morality. His image ultimately aligned with America, becoming one and the same, as he pushed patriotism through his public appearances and his feature film performances.
Wayne very carefully crafted his public image, and he refused to tear that down with role selection.
- 4/6/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Academy Awards aren't just a ceremony where movie stars and filmmakers get little gold statues that honor their work. Over the vast 94-year history of the Oscars, the Academy Awards have taken on a rarefied air. They're a huge annual event that celebrates an industry that gives people entertainment, inspiration, and hope. Those statues that say things like "Best Picture" have become Hollywood's most coveted items, and symbols of greatness within a powerful, influential art form.
Not only that, but the Academy Awards drive so much of the conversation about cinema, with Oscar buzz dominating publications and periodicals for the last several months of each year, and the first several months of the next year. By the time the ceremony finally takes place and the Oscars are handed out, film festivals like Sundance have already got the buzz rolling for the next year's Academy Awards, and the process starts all over again.
Not only that, but the Academy Awards drive so much of the conversation about cinema, with Oscar buzz dominating publications and periodicals for the last several months of each year, and the first several months of the next year. By the time the ceremony finally takes place and the Oscars are handed out, film festivals like Sundance have already got the buzz rolling for the next year's Academy Awards, and the process starts all over again.
- 1/24/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
When someone makes the misguided assertion that John Wayne had no range or, worse, was actually a bad actor, you can be sure they've never seen "The Searchers," "Red River" or "True Grit." They most certainly haven't seen "She Wore a Red Ribbon," the conclusion to John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" which boasts what might very well be the finest performance of The Duke's career.
To be fair, Ford, Wayne's most trusted collaborator, wasn't entirely sold on Wayne's potential beyond his star power until he saw Howard Hawks' "Red River" in 1948. Upon seeing Hawks' Western, Ford reportedly exclaimed, "I didn't know the big son of a b**** could act." While it's worth noting that Ford had a penchant for razzing his frequent leading man, Wayne's portrayal of rancher Thomas Dunson is surprisingly shaded. Dunson is a hard, unyielding man at the outset, but an arduous cattle drive compounded by...
To be fair, Ford, Wayne's most trusted collaborator, wasn't entirely sold on Wayne's potential beyond his star power until he saw Howard Hawks' "Red River" in 1948. Upon seeing Hawks' Western, Ford reportedly exclaimed, "I didn't know the big son of a b**** could act." While it's worth noting that Ford had a penchant for razzing his frequent leading man, Wayne's portrayal of rancher Thomas Dunson is surprisingly shaded. Dunson is a hard, unyielding man at the outset, but an arduous cattle drive compounded by...
- 11/29/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
It's something of a cliche and a bit of a lie when actors say they do their own stunts. If you want to know what that really looks like, watch the end credits of any film Jackie Chan made in his Hong Kong prime. You'll see him break various extremities and get carried out on a stretcher more than once. The only Hollywood star with that kind of daredevil spirit working today is Tom Cruise, who seems determined to keep making Mission: Impossible movies well into his autumn years or die trying.
John Wayne was an ornery, prideful cuss who wanted to look like an authentic badass on the big screen, but he knew when to defer to his longtime stunt double Chuck Roberson. This was a practical matter as much as anything. If The Duke took a nasty spill, production could be shut down for months, which was anathema...
John Wayne was an ornery, prideful cuss who wanted to look like an authentic badass on the big screen, but he knew when to defer to his longtime stunt double Chuck Roberson. This was a practical matter as much as anything. If The Duke took a nasty spill, production could be shut down for months, which was anathema...
- 11/28/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
It's possible that the list of motion picture artists who haven't won competitive Academy Awards might be more prestigious than those who have. Legends such as Stanley Kubrick, Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Montgomery Clift, and Yasujirō Ozu were snubbed throughout their brilliant careers. So when John Wayne, perhaps the most consistently popular star of his generation, attended the Oscars ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on the evening of April 7, 1970, he wasn't exactly hopeful.
There were numerous reasons for Wayne's pessimism. At the age of 61, he was up against three of the hottest young actors in Hollywood and a celebrated thespian who'd been denied five times previously (Richard Burton for "Anne of a Thousand Days"). Wayne was also coming off arguably the worst film he'd ever make in "The Green Berets," which earned critical opprobrium for being both lousy and ludicrously supportive of the Vietnam War.
But Wayne had rebounded splendidly with "True Grit,...
There were numerous reasons for Wayne's pessimism. At the age of 61, he was up against three of the hottest young actors in Hollywood and a celebrated thespian who'd been denied five times previously (Richard Burton for "Anne of a Thousand Days"). Wayne was also coming off arguably the worst film he'd ever make in "The Green Berets," which earned critical opprobrium for being both lousy and ludicrously supportive of the Vietnam War.
But Wayne had rebounded splendidly with "True Grit,...
- 11/28/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Wayne was one of the most dependable stars in Hollywood when he formed Wayne/Fellows Productions with producer Robert Fellows in 1952. When Fellows parted ways with the star a few years later, Wayne changed the company's name to Batjac Productions (a misspelled reference to the Batjak trading company in Edward Ludwig's "Wake of the Red Witch"). Given that just about every Wayne film was a guaranteed money maker, it was smart business to ensure he had a personal financial stake in the movies he top-lined.
Still, Wayne listened to offers for films developed outside of Batjac (particularly those from his longtime collaborators John Ford and Howard Hawks). This meant Mike couldn't just find any old script and expect his dad to make the movie. He had to be diligent about locating projects of quality, or the old man might just give him the heave-ho.
A Company As Successful...
Still, Wayne listened to offers for films developed outside of Batjac (particularly those from his longtime collaborators John Ford and Howard Hawks). This meant Mike couldn't just find any old script and expect his dad to make the movie. He had to be diligent about locating projects of quality, or the old man might just give him the heave-ho.
A Company As Successful...
- 11/16/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Henry Hathaway's "True Grit" went before cameras at a particularly fraught moment in United States history. Richard Nixon had been elected President by campaigning on a racially tinged "law and order" platform. The Vietnam War was still raging despite 39 approval from the American public, sparking massive protests in cities and on college campuses all over the country. This unrest was reflected in the pop culture of the period, particularly in film. The nation's youth were inspired by the maverick works of Dennis Hopper ("Easy Rider"), Robert Downey Sr. ("Putney Swope"), and George A. Romero ("Night of the Living Dead). They craved edginess and experimentation, and rejected the stodgy conservatism of John Wayne.
Hathaway was well aware of this contentious climate when he began shooting the slightly out-of-character Wayne Western. The 71-year-old filmmaker had worked with The Duke many times throughout his career, and didn't want anyone to rile his cantankerous star.
Hathaway was well aware of this contentious climate when he began shooting the slightly out-of-character Wayne Western. The 71-year-old filmmaker had worked with The Duke many times throughout his career, and didn't want anyone to rile his cantankerous star.
- 11/14/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Wayne was in perhaps the biggest creative rut of his career in 1969. He'd just made the worst film of his career outside of "The Conqueror" in "The Green Berets," and with the advent of the New Hollywood revolution, was growing culturally irrelevant. His best collaborators, John Ford and Howard Hawks, were either fully retired or on their way out. Wayne could keep making formulaic Westerns with the hacks who let him call the shots on set, but the returns would be ever diminishing. If he wanted to matter in the film industry again, he had to take a risk.
Charles Portis' novel "True Grit," about a young girl who hires an alcoholic U.S. Marshal to hunt down the men who killed her father, offered the 62-year-old Wayne the perfect opportunity to tweak his image. The lawman role of Rooster Cogburn would allow The Duke to show off his...
Charles Portis' novel "True Grit," about a young girl who hires an alcoholic U.S. Marshal to hunt down the men who killed her father, offered the 62-year-old Wayne the perfect opportunity to tweak his image. The lawman role of Rooster Cogburn would allow The Duke to show off his...
- 11/14/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Wayne had been working steadily in movies for over 30 years when principal photography wrapped on Howard Hawkes' "Rio Bravo" in 1958, and the miles were beginning to wear on the screen legend. At the age of 52, retirement was out of the question. He'd launched Batjac Productions only six years prior, and had his heart set on at long last bringing his labor of love, "The Alamo," to life.
If The Duke had his druthers, this is the moment in his career where he would've eased off on the gas a tad and began to experience more of life outside of a film set. In terms of box office success, he'd more than earned it. Why did he have to keep knocking out two or three movies a year like he still had something to prove?
There was a reason, and it's one that keeps many celebrities working their tails off well beyond their primes.
If The Duke had his druthers, this is the moment in his career where he would've eased off on the gas a tad and began to experience more of life outside of a film set. In terms of box office success, he'd more than earned it. Why did he have to keep knocking out two or three movies a year like he still had something to prove?
There was a reason, and it's one that keeps many celebrities working their tails off well beyond their primes.
- 11/4/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Angie Dickinson once said of Jack L. Warner, "Jack was funny. He was funny because he wasn't funny, but he was always trying to be funny, and that struck me as funny."
Dickinson's "Rio Bravo" co-star, John Wayne, was far from enamored of Warner's funniness, particularly as it pertained to business. Warner was an early practitioner of "Hollywood accounting," which is where the studio shifts the earnings from its hits to make money-losing films appear profitable. There are many examples, but the best known arose out of Buchwald v. Paramount, wherein the company attempted to avoid compensating the writer (whose original story had been stolen by the filmmakers) by claiming the film – which grossed 289 million worldwide on a 36 million budget – failed to turn a profit.
In Hollywood, it's sadly common for studios to screw writers out of money. When it comes to a major movie star like Wayne, however,...
Dickinson's "Rio Bravo" co-star, John Wayne, was far from enamored of Warner's funniness, particularly as it pertained to business. Warner was an early practitioner of "Hollywood accounting," which is where the studio shifts the earnings from its hits to make money-losing films appear profitable. There are many examples, but the best known arose out of Buchwald v. Paramount, wherein the company attempted to avoid compensating the writer (whose original story had been stolen by the filmmakers) by claiming the film – which grossed 289 million worldwide on a 36 million budget – failed to turn a profit.
In Hollywood, it's sadly common for studios to screw writers out of money. When it comes to a major movie star like Wayne, however,...
- 11/4/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Ask people to describe John Wayne, and you're most likely to hear them talk about his larger-than-life swagger and taciturn nature. While it's wrong to say The Duke generally played himself in every film, he did adjust each character's dialogue and behavior to fit within his carefully crafted persona. Audiences filled theaters to see John Wayne be, to some recognizable degree, John Wayne, and he was a savvy enough entertainer to know that they didn't want to see him stretch (which he learned when he played Genghis Khan in the notorious stinker "The Conquerer").
Wayne was initially fine with this arrangement, but according to Scott Eyman's "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," as his career wore on, he began to grouse that he was "the hub of the wheel" around which an array of far more colorful characters spun for our enjoyment. Moviegoers might've loved his steadiness, but he...
Wayne was initially fine with this arrangement, but according to Scott Eyman's "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," as his career wore on, he began to grouse that he was "the hub of the wheel" around which an array of far more colorful characters spun for our enjoyment. Moviegoers might've loved his steadiness, but he...
- 10/24/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
All leading men are not created equal. This is especially true when it comes to playing a love scene. Clark Gable was a man of action; when he lavished his affections on a woman, he knew they would be reciprocated. Cary Grant's approach was more playful; he used banter as foreplay, and let the woman decide when to take their sparring to the bedroom.
And then there was John Wayne. He was trickier. The Western superstar was adored primarily for his unruffled nature. He was the toughest guy in every scene, and we never truly believed his opponent could lick him or outdraw him. Romance was, at best, a secondary concern for him, but when a woman had her mind set on wooing him, he didn't exactly shoo them away. He might've been stolid, but he wasn't made entirely out of stone.
John Wayne Needs A Take-Charge Woman
Howard Hawks,...
And then there was John Wayne. He was trickier. The Western superstar was adored primarily for his unruffled nature. He was the toughest guy in every scene, and we never truly believed his opponent could lick him or outdraw him. Romance was, at best, a secondary concern for him, but when a woman had her mind set on wooing him, he didn't exactly shoo them away. He might've been stolid, but he wasn't made entirely out of stone.
John Wayne Needs A Take-Charge Woman
Howard Hawks,...
- 10/21/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Hollywood history is littered with "what ifs." Some are massive ("What if Tom Selleck hadn't been committed to 'Magnum P.I.' and signed on to play Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"), some are tragic ("What if Bruce Lee hadn't died at the moment he'd become a movie star in the U.S.") and some are just flat-out silly ("What if O.J. Simpson had played The Terminator"). But they're fascinating to consider in an alternate timeline sense.
One "what if" that falls in the middle of the spectrum in terms of significance is the casting of Michael McCandles in George Sherman's "Big Jake." No one talks about this 1971 John Wayne Western much anymore, largely because it's a fairly straightforward genre effort churned out in the wake of The Duke's 1969 Best Actor win for "True Grit." It was made to turn a tidy profit by appealing to Wayne's die-hard fans,...
One "what if" that falls in the middle of the spectrum in terms of significance is the casting of Michael McCandles in George Sherman's "Big Jake." No one talks about this 1971 John Wayne Western much anymore, largely because it's a fairly straightforward genre effort churned out in the wake of The Duke's 1969 Best Actor win for "True Grit." It was made to turn a tidy profit by appealing to Wayne's die-hard fans,...
- 10/18/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Wayne only received credit for directing two films throughout his 50-year career, but his fingerprints are all over many of his star vehicles. Having cut his teeth during the silent era under the tutelage of masters like John Ford, King Vidor, and Michael Curtiz, Wayne became an expert in the manufacture of movies. He understood camera placement, framing, how long to hold onto a shot, and when to cut. Though it was Ford who made him a star with 1939's landmark Western "Stagecoach," Wayne is as responsible for burnishing his big-screen image as any of his behind-the-scenes collaborators.
In Scott Eyman's biography "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," the author reveals that The Duke's experience knocking out programmers for Republic Pictures taught him that the difference between a B movie and an A movie was the "difference ... between a quick punch to the jaw and the expression on a face.
In Scott Eyman's biography "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," the author reveals that The Duke's experience knocking out programmers for Republic Pictures taught him that the difference between a B movie and an A movie was the "difference ... between a quick punch to the jaw and the expression on a face.
- 10/15/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
After a brief critical and commercial revival kicked off by his Oscar-winning turn in 1969's "True Grit," John Wayne fell back into the creative slump that had dogged him throughout much of the previous decade. In 1973, the star slogged through a couple of listless Westerns in "The Train Robbers" and "Cahill, United States Marshal." They were Old Hollywood tripe in an age of New Hollywood innovation. A few years prior, Wayne foolishly passed on a script about a loose-cannon cop called "Dirty Harry," which wound up serving as Clint Eastwood's transition from Spaghetti Westerns to Hollywood action flicks. It was the late-career break Wayne needed, but his taste was too old-fashioned to identify a delectable new flavor of film.
Wayne eventually found a pale imitation of "Dirty Harry" in "McQ," which, if nothing else, flaunts The Duke wielding a newfangled Mac-10 machine gun. It's mediocre, but at the time...
Wayne eventually found a pale imitation of "Dirty Harry" in "McQ," which, if nothing else, flaunts The Duke wielding a newfangled Mac-10 machine gun. It's mediocre, but at the time...
- 10/14/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
By the end of the 1940s, John Wayne was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and could thus afford to be picky about his collaborators. He had a rotating company of actors and a number of preferred directors, but from 1947 onward there was one screenwriter he valued above all others.
If you're not a Wayne devotee, you're probably unfamiliar with the work of James Edward Grant. He was an Irish-American writer who, early in his career, rose quickly through the ranks of Chicago journalists during the 1920s. At the age of 21, he was covering the Windy City's ultra-violent organized crime scene via a column titled "It's a Racket." He fired off essays and stories for top publications like The Saturday Evening Post, but wasn't above churning out pulp yarns for low-aiming magazines like Detective Fiction Weekly. Grant fit the cliche of the prolific newspaperman to a T; he was a hard-drinking,...
If you're not a Wayne devotee, you're probably unfamiliar with the work of James Edward Grant. He was an Irish-American writer who, early in his career, rose quickly through the ranks of Chicago journalists during the 1920s. At the age of 21, he was covering the Windy City's ultra-violent organized crime scene via a column titled "It's a Racket." He fired off essays and stories for top publications like The Saturday Evening Post, but wasn't above churning out pulp yarns for low-aiming magazines like Detective Fiction Weekly. Grant fit the cliche of the prolific newspaperman to a T; he was a hard-drinking,...
- 10/13/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
There is no more precarious moment in a movie star's career than the day they wake up, flush with box office success, and declare, "What I'd really like to do is direct!" Slightly less dangerous is a star's inclination to produce –- i.e., to diversify their career by generating material that reflects their taste or broadens their brand.
Two years after the end of World War II, John Wayne, who'd sat out the civilization-saving conflict while colleagues like James Stewart and Henry Fonda served, realized he was the biggest star in Hollywood and ought to start calling his own shots. Rather than direct, he found a quaint Western called "Angel and the Badman" written by James Edward Grant, in which a Quaker woman nurses a wounded gunfighter back to health. For an actor who'd made his name as a kickass, take-charge hero in Westerns and war movies, this was an oddly anti-violent movie.
Two years after the end of World War II, John Wayne, who'd sat out the civilization-saving conflict while colleagues like James Stewart and Henry Fonda served, realized he was the biggest star in Hollywood and ought to start calling his own shots. Rather than direct, he found a quaint Western called "Angel and the Badman" written by James Edward Grant, in which a Quaker woman nurses a wounded gunfighter back to health. For an actor who'd made his name as a kickass, take-charge hero in Westerns and war movies, this was an oddly anti-violent movie.
- 10/12/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When producer Mike Frankovich set out to make "The Shootist," he did not initially pursue John Wayne for the role of J.B. Brooks, a lawman-turned-gunfighter who discovers he is dying from cancer. Given the elegiac tone of Glendon Swarthout's novel, and Wayne's real-life battle with cancer, you'd think he would've been at the top of Frankovich's list. Alas, Wayne's health was in steep decline; he'd struggled through the shoot of 1975's "Rooster Cogburn," and was likely not up to the task of one last leading-man part. But when top Hollywood stars like Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, George C. Scott, and Gene Hackman passed on the project, the universe seemed to be telling the producer there was only one man for this particular job.
Frankovich finally caved and offered the part to Wayne, who not only accepted but proved to be a boon to the film's casting prospects.
Frankovich finally caved and offered the part to Wayne, who not only accepted but proved to be a boon to the film's casting prospects.
- 10/12/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The conventional wisdom on John Wayne's acting abilities holds that he was a severely limited performer who leaned heavily into his persona to the point of self-parody. Moviegoers who didn't grow up watching his movies (or have parents who grew up watching his movies) tend to view him as a relic of a blessedly bygone era at best or a rampaging racist who made movies that whitewashed the genocidal exercise of Westward Expansion. They basically have no use for him at all.
Everyone has their own threshold for separating the art from the artist, but I think holding his personal views against A-class Westerns that told a more complicated tale than the average B oater is a mistake. Furthermore, I'd argue that there was nuance to his swagger. Wayne didn't become the biggest movie star of the '40s and '50s because he stood for conservative American values.
Everyone has their own threshold for separating the art from the artist, but I think holding his personal views against A-class Westerns that told a more complicated tale than the average B oater is a mistake. Furthermore, I'd argue that there was nuance to his swagger. Wayne didn't become the biggest movie star of the '40s and '50s because he stood for conservative American values.
- 10/11/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Howard Hughes's deliriously ahistorical "The Outlaw" is probably best known for star Jane Russell's brassiere, which the director painstakingly designed to accentuate her 38Dd bosom. Never mind that Russell claimed she wore it all of a few minutes, loathed the fit, and padded her own bra the old-fashioned way; the undergarment is still on display in a Hollywood museum -- the, er, stuff of showbiz legend.
The film itself is an agreeably campy Western. Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) rides into Lincoln, New Mexico looking to recover his stolen horses. He tells his friend Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) that Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) is the thief, which sets up a not-terribly-understated homoerotic love triangle. It's a goofy movie that should be a lot more fun than it is, but its script by Jules Furthman boasts some nifty flourishes, one of which finds the sharp-shooting Holliday trying to goad...
The film itself is an agreeably campy Western. Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) rides into Lincoln, New Mexico looking to recover his stolen horses. He tells his friend Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) that Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) is the thief, which sets up a not-terribly-understated homoerotic love triangle. It's a goofy movie that should be a lot more fun than it is, but its script by Jules Furthman boasts some nifty flourishes, one of which finds the sharp-shooting Holliday trying to goad...
- 10/5/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Hollywood in the early 1970s was unkind to many of the industry's surviving golden-age legends. The smartest of the bunch had either retired, moved to television, or segued to supporting roles in disaster films. Unlike our current era, there wasn't much nostalgia for the good old days. The '50s and '60s were a time of social upheaval during which Black Americans struggled mightily to fight and win basic civil rights. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War was only getting bloodier. People were not in the market for old-fashioned entertainment. They wanted edgier, angrier movies. Those who wanted more of the same could stay home and watch the same when it reran on the afternoon movie.
Where did this leave John Wayne, the Western icon who'd become the big-screen personification of everything that was right (morally and politically) about America at the time? After scoring his first Best Actor Oscar as the alcoholic U.
Where did this leave John Wayne, the Western icon who'd become the big-screen personification of everything that was right (morally and politically) about America at the time? After scoring his first Best Actor Oscar as the alcoholic U.
- 9/24/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The 20-year-long persistence of the superhero genre in contemporary blockbuster cinema has cause many pundits to draw a genre parallel between comic book movies and Westerns. In 2015, the Guardian published an essay comparing the two cinematic trends, largely as a predictor as to when the superhero film would finally cease its continued ascendency. That same year, Steven Spielberg compared the genres, once again using the moribund Western as an indicator of the ephemerality of any genre. Seven years since then, superhero movies have churned out several enormous hits, including several of the biggest box office bonanzas of all time. In 2022, however, the entertainment landscape has changed a lot, companies are merging into weird, gross entities, and high-profile superhero projects now stand the chance of being canceled. Pundits have been predicting it for years, but superhero movies may finally be on the downhill slope. Only time will tell.
"The Train Robbers,...
"The Train Robbers,...
- 9/22/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder had a truly incredible 1974. It is rare enough that someone makes a comedy that stands the test of time as one of the greatest films in history, regardless of genre classification. They made two. Amazingly, "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" were both released in the same year, and I would consider "Young Frankenstein" to be the funniest film ever made, with "Blazing Saddles" not too far behind it. These two films, along with Brooks and Wilder's 1968 Oscar-winning breakout "The Producers," show two comedy kindred spirits operating at a high level. Each one brings out the best in each other, and I wish it didn't stop with just those three movies.
Well, it was almost just two movies. For as simpatico as those two comic geniuses were at the time, Gene Wilder was not originally going to play The Waco Kid (known to his friends as Jim). In fact,...
Well, it was almost just two movies. For as simpatico as those two comic geniuses were at the time, Gene Wilder was not originally going to play The Waco Kid (known to his friends as Jim). In fact,...
- 9/12/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The year was 1976, and John Wayne was cheesed but good at King Kong.
The gargantuan ape with a fatal penchant for blonde starlets was all the rage at Paramount, and for good reason. The studio had sunk 24 million (equivalent to 124 million in 2022) into the John Guillermin-directed remake, and desperately needed it to hit the box-office jackpot when it opened in December. Though studios have huge marketing departments that, when professionally run, know how to manage multiple releases at once, Wayne felt the film that was to be his big-screen swan song, "The Shootist," was getting ignored by Paramount's advertising team. And it was all because of that big, stupid monkey.
The Duke Vs. King Kong
According to Scott Eyman's "John Wayne: The Life and the Legend," Wayne groused to his former secretary and then present companion Pat Stacy, "Those people are putting all their damn time into King Kong.
The gargantuan ape with a fatal penchant for blonde starlets was all the rage at Paramount, and for good reason. The studio had sunk 24 million (equivalent to 124 million in 2022) into the John Guillermin-directed remake, and desperately needed it to hit the box-office jackpot when it opened in December. Though studios have huge marketing departments that, when professionally run, know how to manage multiple releases at once, Wayne felt the film that was to be his big-screen swan song, "The Shootist," was getting ignored by Paramount's advertising team. And it was all because of that big, stupid monkey.
The Duke Vs. King Kong
According to Scott Eyman's "John Wayne: The Life and the Legend," Wayne groused to his former secretary and then present companion Pat Stacy, "Those people are putting all their damn time into King Kong.
- 8/22/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Alfred Hitchcock is behind several decades' worth of celebrated films, but some of the English director's best works were adaptations of stage plays. "Dial M For Murder" was one such adaptation, based on Frederick Knott's Broadway hit concerning an affair, a murder plot, and the trial that followed. Meticulously plotted and visually sparse, the thriller has one of the most satisfying endings of any of Hitchcock's films.
"Dial M For Murder" came to him from one of his previous players. "Notorious" star Cary Grant brought the project to the filmmaker with ambitions to play a hired killer, an appealing role after the suave menace he showed years earlier in Hitchcock's "Suspicion." At the time, Hitchcock was with Warner Bros., who paid thousands of British pounds for the film rights from filmmaker Alexander Korda (who had previously acquired the rights for much cheaper). After previously scrapping a feature adaptation...
"Dial M For Murder" came to him from one of his previous players. "Notorious" star Cary Grant brought the project to the filmmaker with ambitions to play a hired killer, an appealing role after the suave menace he showed years earlier in Hitchcock's "Suspicion." At the time, Hitchcock was with Warner Bros., who paid thousands of British pounds for the film rights from filmmaker Alexander Korda (who had previously acquired the rights for much cheaper). After previously scrapping a feature adaptation...
- 8/22/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Some friendships are so iconic that they can inspire a whole book's worth of retelling. That's the case with James Stewart and Henry Fonda: "Hank and Jim," a 2017 book by Scott Eyman, chronicles the lifelong friendship of these two Hollywood legends.
In some ways, the two were quite similar: despite their movie star status, they carried themselves with Midwestern modesty. In other ways, they were very different: Stewart was a Republican hawk and Fonda a New Deal Democrat. Despite this, they remained friends for almost five decades until Fonda's death in 1982. In fact, their...
The post How Broadway Made James Stewart and Henry Fonda Lifelong Friends appeared first on /Film.
In some ways, the two were quite similar: despite their movie star status, they carried themselves with Midwestern modesty. In other ways, they were very different: Stewart was a Republican hawk and Fonda a New Deal Democrat. Despite this, they remained friends for almost five decades until Fonda's death in 1982. In fact, their...
The post How Broadway Made James Stewart and Henry Fonda Lifelong Friends appeared first on /Film.
- 8/6/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Review By Lee Pfeiffer
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
20th Century-Fox: Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio by Scott Eyman (Running Press/Turner Classic Movies) $28, 304 pages, Illustrated (Colour & B&w), Hardback, Isbn 978-0762470938
Scott Eyman has authored high profile biographies of numerous screen legends including John Wayne, James Stewart, John Ford, Louis B. Mayer and Cary Grant. Now, Eyman sets out to examine the career of another larger-than-life Hollywood icon, Darryl F. Zanuck. There’s plenty of fertile ground to examine, too, as the mercurial producer had a long, dramatic career that could have formed the basis of one of his films. He saved the fledgling Fox film corporation early in his career then became the tyrannical head of its subsequent incarnation, 20th-Century Fox. Over the decades, Zanuck would be feared and despised, rarely liked, but always respected as his early knack for creating hits was legendary.
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
20th Century-Fox: Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio by Scott Eyman (Running Press/Turner Classic Movies) $28, 304 pages, Illustrated (Colour & B&w), Hardback, Isbn 978-0762470938
Scott Eyman has authored high profile biographies of numerous screen legends including John Wayne, James Stewart, John Ford, Louis B. Mayer and Cary Grant. Now, Eyman sets out to examine the career of another larger-than-life Hollywood icon, Darryl F. Zanuck. There’s plenty of fertile ground to examine, too, as the mercurial producer had a long, dramatic career that could have formed the basis of one of his films. He saved the fledgling Fox film corporation early in his career then became the tyrannical head of its subsequent incarnation, 20th-Century Fox. Over the decades, Zanuck would be feared and despised, rarely liked, but always respected as his early knack for creating hits was legendary.
- 11/3/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The glamour of Old Hollywood is timeless, but the holiday season is a great time to purchase one of these classic film-themed gifts. In addition to curating broadcast lineups of the greatest films of all time (from one of the largest film libraries in the world), Turner Classic Movies has also curated a wide variety of gifts for the classic film fan in your life — or yourself, if that’s you. And if you subscribe to Hulu Live or Sling TV, you can stream all the TCM movies your heart desires. If you’re not subscribed, Hulu Live costs just $64.99 a month after a free seven-day trial. That means you can officially cut...
The glamour of Old Hollywood is timeless, but the holiday season is a great time to purchase one of these classic film-themed gifts. In addition to curating broadcast lineups of the greatest films of all time (from one of the largest film libraries in the world), Turner Classic Movies has also curated a wide variety of gifts for the classic film fan in your life — or yourself, if that’s you. And if you subscribe to Hulu Live or Sling TV, you can stream all the TCM movies your heart desires. If you’re not subscribed, Hulu Live costs just $64.99 a month after a free seven-day trial. That means you can officially cut...
- 11/2/2021
- by Jean Bentley and Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
By Fred Blosser
In “Union Pacific” (1939), an epic Western produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille for Paramount Pictures in flavorful black-and-white, Union Army veteran Jeff Butler (Joel McCrea) is hired as a troubleshooter by the fledgling Union Pacific Railroad just after the end of the Civil War. In the 2021 corporate world, his job description probably would say “Head of Security.” Butler is an engineer by profession, but he’s traded his slide rule (or whatever engineers used in those days) for a pair of six-shooters. The Union Pacific is laying track westward from Nebraska to connect in Utah with the Central Pacific, as the latter proceeds eastward from California. Jeff’s duty is to make sure the Union Pacific stays on schedule, and that means no malingering or sabotage by the track crew. If the Union Pacific falls behind, the Central Pacific becomes top dog.
Jeff’s main problem...
In “Union Pacific” (1939), an epic Western produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille for Paramount Pictures in flavorful black-and-white, Union Army veteran Jeff Butler (Joel McCrea) is hired as a troubleshooter by the fledgling Union Pacific Railroad just after the end of the Civil War. In the 2021 corporate world, his job description probably would say “Head of Security.” Butler is an engineer by profession, but he’s traded his slide rule (or whatever engineers used in those days) for a pair of six-shooters. The Union Pacific is laying track westward from Nebraska to connect in Utah with the Central Pacific, as the latter proceeds eastward from California. Jeff’s duty is to make sure the Union Pacific stays on schedule, and that means no malingering or sabotage by the track crew. If the Union Pacific falls behind, the Central Pacific becomes top dog.
Jeff’s main problem...
- 8/3/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
It’s always a good time to update your bookshelf, and today IndieWire staffers have selected some of their favorite film books, from screenwriting manuals to fascinating histories and even musings on the art of criticism itself.
The selections are wide-ranging, so if you’re looking for a book specifically about film criticism then you can check out this list, and if you’re looking for a juicy memoir, check out this one.
But otherwise, read on for a broad spectrum of books about cinema, including behind-the-scenes accounts of major blockbusters, essays on film theory, and more.
Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson’s Picks: “John Wayne: The Life and Legend” by Scott Eyman Buy: $19.99 Buy...
It’s always a good time to update your bookshelf, and today IndieWire staffers have selected some of their favorite film books, from screenwriting manuals to fascinating histories and even musings on the art of criticism itself.
The selections are wide-ranging, so if you’re looking for a book specifically about film criticism then you can check out this list, and if you’re looking for a juicy memoir, check out this one.
But otherwise, read on for a broad spectrum of books about cinema, including behind-the-scenes accounts of major blockbusters, essays on film theory, and more.
Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson’s Picks: “John Wayne: The Life and Legend” by Scott Eyman Buy: $19.99 Buy...
- 3/2/2021
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
A note from the twilight zone: Awards season is now underway, except this year there are essentially no screenings or cocktail parties and no celebrities answering questions. Movie stars used to complain about the demands of awards season; today some are missing the attention, and so are their movies.
Given this dilemma, we have been grateful for some random epiphanies this week from the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen, Matthew McConaughey and even the late Cary Grant. They’re all contributing, mindful that there will be no long lines and likely no statuettes.
Baron Cohen has the most urgent reason to avoid invisibility since he has two movies to promote — a sequel to Borat and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Getting the word out has entailed bending his cardinal rule of never speaking in his own voice. During my past onstage sessions with him, he would materialize as Borat...
Given this dilemma, we have been grateful for some random epiphanies this week from the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen, Matthew McConaughey and even the late Cary Grant. They’re all contributing, mindful that there will be no long lines and likely no statuettes.
Baron Cohen has the most urgent reason to avoid invisibility since he has two movies to promote — a sequel to Borat and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Getting the word out has entailed bending his cardinal rule of never speaking in his own voice. During my past onstage sessions with him, he would materialize as Borat...
- 10/22/2020
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Act Like a Man is a column examining male screen performers past and present, across nationality and genre. If movie stars reflect the needs and desires of their audience in any particular era, examining their personas, popularity, fandom, and specific appeals has plenty to tell us about the way cinema has constructed—and occasionally deconstructed—manhood on our screens.For a generation of returning veterans, actor Robert Montgomery was the thinking man’s GI. In his roles in post-war American movies, whether they be war dramas or film noirs that he would both star in and direct, he carried an air of earned macho authority. He had a sort of inarguable stature that was supported as much by his real life as it was by his ironclad screen presence. A to-the-manor-born son from a failed business empire, Robert’s father Henry was head of the New York Rubber Company, making...
- 3/25/2020
- MUBI
If ever a man got to live out his dream, it was Robert Osborne. 23 years ago he was hired to be the on-camera host for Turner Classic Movies. He was the perfect man for the job because his enthusiasm was genuine and his knowledge was vast. Yet I don’t think the people at TCM realized how indelibly he would become identified with the network — or how connected his viewers would become with him.
I can testify to this, having watched the reaction of people who traveled from all over the country to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. When Robert would appear in the lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel he’d be mobbed like a rock star. He represented everything these fans loved about TCM and what it stood for: a pathway to vintage Hollywood and great movies of the past.
Read More: Robert Osborne, Beloved TCM Host,...
I can testify to this, having watched the reaction of people who traveled from all over the country to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. When Robert would appear in the lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel he’d be mobbed like a rock star. He represented everything these fans loved about TCM and what it stood for: a pathway to vintage Hollywood and great movies of the past.
Read More: Robert Osborne, Beloved TCM Host,...
- 3/6/2017
- by Leonard Maltin
- Indiewire
We've already got a fine domestic disc with both versions of John Ford's fine Henry Fonda western. This Region B UK release duplicates that arrangement with different extras, and throws in a fine HD transfer of an earlier Allan Dwan version of the same story -- with strong similarities -- called Frontier Marshal. It stars Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero and Binnie Barnes and it's very good. My Darling Clementine + Frontier Marshal Region B Blu-ray Arrow Academy (UK) 1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 + 103 min. (two versions) / Street Date August 17, 2015, 2014 / Amazon UK / £19.99 Starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Ward Bond, Alan Mowbray, John Ireland, Roy Roberts, Jane Darwell, Grant Withers, J. Farrell MacDonald, Russell Simpson. Cinematography Joe MacDonald Art Direction James Basevi, Lyle Wheeler Film Editor Dorothy Spencer Original Music Cyril Mockridge Written by Samuel G. Engel, Sam Hellman, Winston Miller Produced by Samuel G. Engel,...
- 10/27/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
"Among the slew of great Italian directors of the postwar era—Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Roberto Rossellini—it is Luchino Visconti whose posthumous reputation has seemed the most imperiled, perhaps because of his refusal to type himself," suggests Scott Eyman in Film Comment. A new restoration of Rocco and His Brothers is set to tour the country. More goings on: Dustin Guy Defa and Eric Leiser in New York, Matthew Barney and abstract video in Los Angeles, films by Guillermo del Toro reimagined as Victorian book covers in London, the sounds of the silent era in Berlin—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/14/2015
- Keyframe
"Among the slew of great Italian directors of the postwar era—Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Roberto Rossellini—it is Luchino Visconti whose posthumous reputation has seemed the most imperiled, perhaps because of his refusal to type himself," suggests Scott Eyman in Film Comment. A new restoration of Rocco and His Brothers is set to tour the country. More goings on: Dustin Guy Defa and Eric Leiser in New York, Matthew Barney and abstract video in Los Angeles, films by Guillermo del Toro reimagined as Victorian book covers in London, the sounds of the silent era in Berlin—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/14/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
For 25 years Milestone has restored and released classic, independent, and international art house cinema. Now for the first time the renowned distribution company will be producing a film, a meditative and mesmerizing documentary by Ross Lipman. "Notfilm" explores the making and meaning of one of cinema's most unlikely collaborations—the teaming of playwright Samuel Beckett and silent film star Buster Keaton in creation of the 1965 short film, "Film."
Milestone has just launched a new Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the completion of "Notfilm." They would be very grateful if as many people as possible could check it out and share it with friends, patrons and other film fans.
You can visit the Kickstarter page Here
The company has shown the work-in-progress version of the documentary to a few people and the early response has been wonderful. Film historian and best-selling biographer Scott Eyman wrote:
“A two-hour documentary film about a half-hour film sounds ridiculous, but not if the film is Samuel Beckett’s 'Film.' The confluence of Beckett, Buster Keaton and Alan Schneider is joined by Ross Lipman, who functions here as a cultural archaeologist of the highest order. 'Notfilm' joins the very short list of great movies about the movies.” — Scott Eyman (author ofJohn Wayne: The Life and Legend)
Milestone is hoping to release the completed "Notfilm" later in 2015.
Milestone has just launched a new Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the completion of "Notfilm." They would be very grateful if as many people as possible could check it out and share it with friends, patrons and other film fans.
You can visit the Kickstarter page Here
The company has shown the work-in-progress version of the documentary to a few people and the early response has been wonderful. Film historian and best-selling biographer Scott Eyman wrote:
“A two-hour documentary film about a half-hour film sounds ridiculous, but not if the film is Samuel Beckett’s 'Film.' The confluence of Beckett, Buster Keaton and Alan Schneider is joined by Ross Lipman, who functions here as a cultural archaeologist of the highest order. 'Notfilm' joins the very short list of great movies about the movies.” — Scott Eyman (author ofJohn Wayne: The Life and Legend)
Milestone is hoping to release the completed "Notfilm" later in 2015.
- 7/17/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Hondo (1953), which is set to play June 13 - July 4 at the Museum of Modern Art as part of their "3-D Summer" series, was John Wayne's first Western in three years. It was produced by his own Wayne/Fellows Productions (later named Batjac), founded just the year prior by Wayne and producer Robert Fellows. And James Edward Grant, who had already written several Wayne features and had a particular flair for writing classic John Wayne dialogue, penned the screenplay. All told, one gets the sense that everything about this exemplary return to the genre was a carefully conscious decision by the iconic American star. Hondo is a definitive Western. Moreover, it's a definitive John Wayne Western.When Wayne made Hondo, his masculine persona was already firmly established. After viewing the film at one point, Wayne supposedly declared, "I'll be damned if I'm not the stuff men are made of." Such a comment,...
- 6/12/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- MUBI
J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year" is the Best Film of the Year according to the National Board of Review. Its president, Annie Schulhof, said "'A Most Violent Year' is an exhilarating crime drama with a compelling story, outstanding performances, and an elegant cinematic style." Oscar Isaac took home the Best Actor trophy he tied with Michael Keaton for "Birdman."
Jessica Chastain won Best Supporting Actress for "A Most Violent Year" with Edward Norton receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for "Birdman."
The National Board of Review annual Awards Gala will be held on January 6, 2015.
Here's the full list of winners of 2014's National Board of Review Awards:
Best Film: A Most Violent Year
Best Director: Clint Eastwood . American Sniper
Best Actor (Tie): Oscar Isaac . A Most Violent Year; Michael Keaton . Birdman
Best Actress: Julianne Moore . Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton . Birdman
Best Supporting...
Jessica Chastain won Best Supporting Actress for "A Most Violent Year" with Edward Norton receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for "Birdman."
The National Board of Review annual Awards Gala will be held on January 6, 2015.
Here's the full list of winners of 2014's National Board of Review Awards:
Best Film: A Most Violent Year
Best Director: Clint Eastwood . American Sniper
Best Actor (Tie): Oscar Isaac . A Most Violent Year; Michael Keaton . Birdman
Best Actress: Julianne Moore . Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton . Birdman
Best Supporting...
- 12/3/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Jc Chandor’s A Most Violent Year has scooped the best film prize as the National Board Of Review announced its 2014 selections.
Clint Eastwood was named best director for American Sniper, while Oscar Isaac for A Most Violent Year tied with Michael Keaton for Birdman in the best actor race and Julianne Moore took best actress honours for Still Alice.
Jessica Chastain took the best supporting actress prize for A Most Violent Year and Edward Norton the best supporting actor award for Birdman.
Jack O’Connell earned an award for best breakthrough performance for Starred Up and Unbroken.
Damián Szifrón’s Argentinian Oscar submission Wild Tales was named best foreign film, Steve James’ Life Itself best documentary and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller took best original screenplay for The Lego Movie.
The full list of winners:
Best Film: A Most Violent Year
Best Director: Clint Eastwood - American Sniper
Best Actor (tie): Oscar Isaac - A Most Violent Year; [link...
Clint Eastwood was named best director for American Sniper, while Oscar Isaac for A Most Violent Year tied with Michael Keaton for Birdman in the best actor race and Julianne Moore took best actress honours for Still Alice.
Jessica Chastain took the best supporting actress prize for A Most Violent Year and Edward Norton the best supporting actor award for Birdman.
Jack O’Connell earned an award for best breakthrough performance for Starred Up and Unbroken.
Damián Szifrón’s Argentinian Oscar submission Wild Tales was named best foreign film, Steve James’ Life Itself best documentary and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller took best original screenplay for The Lego Movie.
The full list of winners:
Best Film: A Most Violent Year
Best Director: Clint Eastwood - American Sniper
Best Actor (tie): Oscar Isaac - A Most Violent Year; [link...
- 12/2/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Hot on the heals of the New York Film Critics Circle’s announcement yesterday, the National Board of Review has named their picks for the best achievements in film for 2014, naming J.C. Chandor’s crime drama A Most Violent Year as the year’s best movie. The film also won for Best Actor (Oscar Isaac), tying with Michael Keaton for Birdman, and Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain).
Taking a look at their list of winners, the group had some very interesting choices for several categories. Paul Thomas Anderson’s bizarre, drug-fueled odyssey Inherent Vice took Best Adapted Screenplay, while The Lego Movie beat multiple top contenders to receive Best Original Screenplay. Also unexpected was Clint Eastwood snagging Best Director for his biopic American Sniper, which has merely been receiving so-so reviews thus far.
On the other hand, there were several picks that were somewhat expected, including Julianne Moore’s win...
Taking a look at their list of winners, the group had some very interesting choices for several categories. Paul Thomas Anderson’s bizarre, drug-fueled odyssey Inherent Vice took Best Adapted Screenplay, while The Lego Movie beat multiple top contenders to receive Best Original Screenplay. Also unexpected was Clint Eastwood snagging Best Director for his biopic American Sniper, which has merely been receiving so-so reviews thus far.
On the other hand, there were several picks that were somewhat expected, including Julianne Moore’s win...
- 12/2/2014
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.