Fred Astaire was an Oscar-nominated song and dance man best remembered for a series of musicals he made alongside many female dancer, but especially Ginger Rogers. Yet his filmography extends well past those titles. Let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their first starring vehicle came just one year later: “The Gay Divorcee” (1934).
Their subsequent films, including “Top Hat” (1935), “Follow the Fleet” (1936), “Swing Time...
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their first starring vehicle came just one year later: “The Gay Divorcee” (1934).
Their subsequent films, including “Top Hat” (1935), “Follow the Fleet” (1936), “Swing Time...
- 5/4/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Nine decades ago this December, moviegoers were witnessing the beginning of one of the most successful movie teams, as well as the demise of one of the most dramatic.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
- 12/28/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In the 1920s, a pair of comedians were paired together by chance, and showed a chemistry that caught the attention of audiences; Laurel and Hardy went on to make over 100 short and feature-length films that pioneered movie comedy. Over the next few decades, the studios were quick to seize upon a popular pairing, both comedic and romantic, creating some of the most popular duos in screen history – some of which carried over into offscreen friendships and real-life love stories. In the years since the downfall of the studio system, actors haven’t been paired as they were during the Golden Age, when they were contracted to do a studio’s bidding, but friendships and mutual respect has led to some memorable modern-day pairings.
From the earliest days of cinema to Abbott and Costello to Martin and Lewis to Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, a successful comedy pairing can lead to big box office returns.
From the earliest days of cinema to Abbott and Costello to Martin and Lewis to Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, a successful comedy pairing can lead to big box office returns.
- 12/7/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
We've known for a few years that there are dueling Fred Astaire films in development — one starring Tom Holland playing the legendary entertainer, the other featuring Jamie Bell as Astaire and Margaret Qualley as Ginger Rogers. Both are seeing some new moves today, with The Hollywood Reporter bringing word that the Holland film now has Paddington's Paul King as director and Lee Hall re-writing the script.
The untitled, Holland-starring film has Lee Hall also now on board as writer. It'll focus on Astaire and his sister, Adele Astaire. The two were inseparable for more than 20 years, moving out of a simple Midwestern vaudeville act in the early part of the 20th Century to Broadway and London’s West end in the 1920s. Adele Astaire was initially the face of the act but eventually, Fred Astaire’s consummate stage skills eclipsed hers. The duo parted in 1932 when his sister married, which was a blow to Fred,...
The untitled, Holland-starring film has Lee Hall also now on board as writer. It'll focus on Astaire and his sister, Adele Astaire. The two were inseparable for more than 20 years, moving out of a simple Midwestern vaudeville act in the early part of the 20th Century to Broadway and London’s West end in the 1920s. Adele Astaire was initially the face of the act but eventually, Fred Astaire’s consummate stage skills eclipsed hers. The duo parted in 1932 when his sister married, which was a blow to Fred,...
- 2/13/2023
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
Exclusive: Black Bear International has launched international sales on Fred & Ginger, the musical about the passionate and explosive relationship between Hollywood dance legends, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
The project was formerly set up at Amazon but is hitting the open market with Black Bear and financier 30West (The Triangle Of Sadness) now aboard. UTA Independent Film Group and 30West will co-rep U.S. rights.
As was previously known, BAFTA-winner Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) will play Astaire, the technically-driven perfectionist, opposite Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as the naturally gifted Rogers. The film is aiming to start production later this year.
Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F*cking World) will direct from a script by writer Arash Amel (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare).
Hollywood icons Astaire and Rogers starred in ten movies together, starting with Flying Down to Rio in 1933 and ending with The Barkleys of Broadway...
The project was formerly set up at Amazon but is hitting the open market with Black Bear and financier 30West (The Triangle Of Sadness) now aboard. UTA Independent Film Group and 30West will co-rep U.S. rights.
As was previously known, BAFTA-winner Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) will play Astaire, the technically-driven perfectionist, opposite Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as the naturally gifted Rogers. The film is aiming to start production later this year.
Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F*cking World) will direct from a script by writer Arash Amel (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare).
Hollywood icons Astaire and Rogers starred in ten movies together, starting with Flying Down to Rio in 1933 and ending with The Barkleys of Broadway...
- 2/13/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
If you are a fan of classic Hollywood movie musicals, there is a strong chance you have probably had the debate: Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire? It's a silly debate, obviously, but pitting the two premiere tap-dancing leading men of some of the most loved films of all time against each other is a classic cinephile's version of, "Who would win in a fight, Superman or Wonder Woman?" If I have to choose, I choose Gene, but I have nothing against Fred. Despite their unparalleled hoofing skills, I go to the two men for completely different things. When I want athleticism and relatability, I go for Gene. When I want precision in both movement and story, I go for Fred.
Fred Astaire is undeniably Hollywood legend, thanks in large part to his on-screen chemistry with the equally delightful Ginger Rogers, but his path to stardom was not an obvious one.
Fred Astaire is undeniably Hollywood legend, thanks in large part to his on-screen chemistry with the equally delightful Ginger Rogers, but his path to stardom was not an obvious one.
- 8/15/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
After that epic Lip-sync battle of Tom Holland converting to Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ in 2017, Tom Holland has finally landed himself the role of the legendary actor, singer and dancer Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic.
The ‘Spider-man’ actor confirmed the role while doing press for the upcoming third instalment of the Sony/Marvel out ‘Spider-man: No Way Home.’
“The script came in a week ago,” Holland told reporters. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me,” Holland noted. “She [Amy Pascal] FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” he said with a laugh. “And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Also in news – Cate Blanchett & Kevin Kline to star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Apple series ‘Disclaimer’
Astaire starred in more than 30 film musicals, as well as appearing on stage on Broadway and the West End over the course of a seven-decade career.
The ‘Spider-man’ actor confirmed the role while doing press for the upcoming third instalment of the Sony/Marvel out ‘Spider-man: No Way Home.’
“The script came in a week ago,” Holland told reporters. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me,” Holland noted. “She [Amy Pascal] FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” he said with a laugh. “And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Also in news – Cate Blanchett & Kevin Kline to star in Alfonso Cuaron’s Apple series ‘Disclaimer’
Astaire starred in more than 30 film musicals, as well as appearing on stage on Broadway and the West End over the course of a seven-decade career.
- 12/6/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“Spider-Man” star Tom Holland is swapping his web-shooters for dancing shoes. The 25-year-old officially confirmed on Sunday that he’ll portray legendary actor, dancer and singer Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic for Sony.
In a recent profile for GQ, Oscar-nominated producer Amy Pascal teased that she wanted Holland for the part of Astaire in the forthcoming movie, as well as another trilogy of “Spider-Man films.”
But during an interview with AP, at an event promoting the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Holland confirmed that he’ll step into the entertainer’s dance shoes for the project, which is still in its early stages.
“The script came in a week ago,” Holland told reporters. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me.”
Pascal has received the script though, Holland noted. “She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” he said with a laugh. “And we had a lovely FaceTime,...
In a recent profile for GQ, Oscar-nominated producer Amy Pascal teased that she wanted Holland for the part of Astaire in the forthcoming movie, as well as another trilogy of “Spider-Man films.”
But during an interview with AP, at an event promoting the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Holland confirmed that he’ll step into the entertainer’s dance shoes for the project, which is still in its early stages.
“The script came in a week ago,” Holland told reporters. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me.”
Pascal has received the script though, Holland noted. “She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” he said with a laugh. “And we had a lovely FaceTime,...
- 12/5/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
8 random things that happened on this day, December 29th, in showbiz history
1933 Ernst Lubitsch's pre-Code threesome romantic comedy Design for Living starring Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, and Gary Cooper opens for the last weekend of the year as does the musical romantic comedy Flying Down to Rio starring Dolores del Rio. The latter film is best remembered for being the first onscreen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in (gasp) supporting roles.
1939 'Hollywood's Greatest Year' concludes with opening weekend for the Jimmy Stewart/Marlene Dietrich western Destry Rides Again, the classic period romantic drama The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2 Oscar nominations), and the musical Swanee River (1 Oscar nomination)...
1933 Ernst Lubitsch's pre-Code threesome romantic comedy Design for Living starring Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, and Gary Cooper opens for the last weekend of the year as does the musical romantic comedy Flying Down to Rio starring Dolores del Rio. The latter film is best remembered for being the first onscreen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in (gasp) supporting roles.
1939 'Hollywood's Greatest Year' concludes with opening weekend for the Jimmy Stewart/Marlene Dietrich western Destry Rides Again, the classic period romantic drama The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2 Oscar nominations), and the musical Swanee River (1 Oscar nomination)...
- 12/29/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley will portray the legendary dance pair Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the biopic “Fred & Ginger” for Amazon Studios and Automatik.
Bell and Qualley will also produce. Bell showed his skills as a dancer in his breakout performance in 2000’s “Billy Elliot.” Qualley has performed extensively as a dancer, as seen in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon” and the viral Kenzo perfume ad directed by Spike Jonze.
Astaire and Rogers starred in 10 movies together, starting with “Flying Down to Rio” in 1933 and ending with “The Barkleys of Broadway” in 1949. The pic plans to examine what individually drove Astaire and Rogers while celebrating the creative magic between them. It will tell the real love story between these two legends both on and offscreen.
Jonathan Entwistle (“The End of the F***ing World”) will direct from a script to be penned by Arash Amel (“A Private War”). Amel will also...
Bell and Qualley will also produce. Bell showed his skills as a dancer in his breakout performance in 2000’s “Billy Elliot.” Qualley has performed extensively as a dancer, as seen in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon” and the viral Kenzo perfume ad directed by Spike Jonze.
Astaire and Rogers starred in 10 movies together, starting with “Flying Down to Rio” in 1933 and ending with “The Barkleys of Broadway” in 1949. The pic plans to examine what individually drove Astaire and Rogers while celebrating the creative magic between them. It will tell the real love story between these two legends both on and offscreen.
Jonathan Entwistle (“The End of the F***ing World”) will direct from a script to be penned by Arash Amel (“A Private War”). Amel will also...
- 12/11/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
You’re going to have to steel yourself for this monster of a content update. Between them, Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime have an obscene number of quality titles debuting this weekend.
Be it films or television shows, new releases or old classics, there’s a ton to dig into here. So if you’re ready, let’s dive right in…
Netflix
July 31st
Get Even — Netflix Original
Latte and the Magic Waterstone — Netflix Family
Seriously Single — Netflix Film
The Speed Cubers — Netflix Documentary
Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet — Netflix Original
The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 — Netflix Original
Vis a vis: El Oasis (Locked Up) — Netflix Original
August 1st
A Knight’s Tale
Acts of Violence
The Addams Family (1991)
An Education
Being John Malkovich
Death at a Funeral
Dennis the Menace
Elizabeth Harvest
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hardcore Henry
Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 1-2
Jurassic Park...
Be it films or television shows, new releases or old classics, there’s a ton to dig into here. So if you’re ready, let’s dive right in…
Netflix
July 31st
Get Even — Netflix Original
Latte and the Magic Waterstone — Netflix Family
Seriously Single — Netflix Film
The Speed Cubers — Netflix Documentary
Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet — Netflix Original
The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 — Netflix Original
Vis a vis: El Oasis (Locked Up) — Netflix Original
August 1st
A Knight’s Tale
Acts of Violence
The Addams Family (1991)
An Education
Being John Malkovich
Death at a Funeral
Dennis the Menace
Elizabeth Harvest
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hardcore Henry
Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 1-2
Jurassic Park...
- 7/31/2020
- by Alex Crisp
- We Got This Covered
HBO Max has a lot to offer in August, with titles to look forward to including the premiere of a brand new Seth Rogen movie called “An American Pickle” on Aug. 6, and Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight” out Aug. 1.
The nascent streaming service also shares content with HBO, with new films coming like “Jojo Rabbit” out Aug. 1, “Birds of Prey” out Aug. 15, “Richard Jewell” out Aug. 8, and “Queen & Slim,” out Aug. 22. The upcoming series “Lovecraft County,” which mixes fact and fantasy and takes place in 1950s Jim Crow America, arrives Aug. 16.
Leaving throughout the month include, tragically, all eight “Harry Potter” films, which will be gone after Aug. 25. Other absolute classics like “Good Will Hunting,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and both “Kill Bill” movies will be gone after Aug. 31, so watch them while you can.
Below is the full list of everything coming and going in August.
The nascent streaming service also shares content with HBO, with new films coming like “Jojo Rabbit” out Aug. 1, “Birds of Prey” out Aug. 15, “Richard Jewell” out Aug. 8, and “Queen & Slim,” out Aug. 22. The upcoming series “Lovecraft County,” which mixes fact and fantasy and takes place in 1950s Jim Crow America, arrives Aug. 16.
Leaving throughout the month include, tragically, all eight “Harry Potter” films, which will be gone after Aug. 25. Other absolute classics like “Good Will Hunting,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and both “Kill Bill” movies will be gone after Aug. 31, so watch them while you can.
Below is the full list of everything coming and going in August.
- 7/30/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
With the end of the month ahead of us, we now have a full list of everything that’s coming to Netflix and the various other streaming services across August. The sites will continue to do their best to keep you from straying out into the sun for the rest of the summer, too, as each of them has got a whole heap of new movies and TV shows coming to their libraries that you’ll want to check out. Mostly classic films you’ll enjoy sticking on again, but also a few much-anticipated originals, too.
See below for the full line-up of titles coming to Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video, as well as our own picks for what should be on your radar.
August 1
Netflix
A Knight’s Tale
Acts of Violence
The Addams Family (1991)
An Education
Being John Malkovich
Death at a Funeral
Dennis the Menace...
See below for the full line-up of titles coming to Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video, as well as our own picks for what should be on your radar.
August 1
Netflix
A Knight’s Tale
Acts of Violence
The Addams Family (1991)
An Education
Being John Malkovich
Death at a Funeral
Dennis the Menace...
- 7/25/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
HBO Max is continuing to pull from Warner Bros.’ incredible back catalogue of movies, with August bringing a huge number of new titles to the streaming service. With over 130 new pieces of content, the list of upcoming arrivals encompasses classic films of all kinds, from Oscar winners to comedies, horrors to family pics and, of course, tons of blockbusters.
A highlight for many users will probably be the glut of Batman films coming to HBO Max at the start of the month. Every cinematic outing for the Caped Crusader from 1989’s Batman starring Michael Keaton to 2008’s The Dark Knight with Christian Bale (which just celebrated its 12th anniversary this weekend) are going up on the site. Sticking in Gotham, both seasons of Harley Quinn are also coming to HBO Max, following their original release on DC Universe.
Elsewhere on August 1st, some of the more notable new titles include Before Sunrise and its sequel,...
A highlight for many users will probably be the glut of Batman films coming to HBO Max at the start of the month. Every cinematic outing for the Caped Crusader from 1989’s Batman starring Michael Keaton to 2008’s The Dark Knight with Christian Bale (which just celebrated its 12th anniversary this weekend) are going up on the site. Sticking in Gotham, both seasons of Harley Quinn are also coming to HBO Max, following their original release on DC Universe.
Elsewhere on August 1st, some of the more notable new titles include Before Sunrise and its sequel,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
It’s August 2020 and that can only mean one thing: HBO Max is about to enter Lovecraft Country.
Over the years HBO (and by the transitive property its new HBO Max streaming offshoot) has grown accustomed to debuting a buzzworthy new TV show or limited series every couple of months. For August 2020 that will almost certainly be Southern Gothic horror series Lovecraft Country. The J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele-produced thriller arrives on August 14 on HBO and HBO Max.
Other strong HBO Max originals arriving in August include the documentary Class Action Park (release date Tbd), Seth Rogen-starring comedy An American Pickle (Aug. 6), and finales for I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Doom Patrol, and Perry Mason.
Of course, HBO Max is designed to house much of WarnerMedia’s content across many mediums. That means some recent movies on note like Jojo Rabbit (Aug. 1), Richard Jewell (Aug. 8), and Birds of Prey (Aug.
Over the years HBO (and by the transitive property its new HBO Max streaming offshoot) has grown accustomed to debuting a buzzworthy new TV show or limited series every couple of months. For August 2020 that will almost certainly be Southern Gothic horror series Lovecraft Country. The J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele-produced thriller arrives on August 14 on HBO and HBO Max.
Other strong HBO Max originals arriving in August include the documentary Class Action Park (release date Tbd), Seth Rogen-starring comedy An American Pickle (Aug. 6), and finales for I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Doom Patrol, and Perry Mason.
Of course, HBO Max is designed to house much of WarnerMedia’s content across many mediums. That means some recent movies on note like Jojo Rabbit (Aug. 1), Richard Jewell (Aug. 8), and Birds of Prey (Aug.
- 7/20/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Fred Astaire would’ve celebrated his 120th birthday on May 10, 2019. The Oscar-nominated song and dance man is best remembered for a series of musicals he made alongside Ginger Rogers. Yet his filmography extends well past those titles. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
SEEOscars flashback: Gold Derby celebrates 84 years of Best Original Song at the Academy Awards
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their...
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
SEEOscars flashback: Gold Derby celebrates 84 years of Best Original Song at the Academy Awards
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their...
- 5/10/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Be very glad that Stanley Donen, who died on today at age 94, decided not to his work at his family’s dress shop after seeing the 1933 musical “Flying Down to Rio” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a boy, one that he would watch at least 30 or 40 times.
Without that influence he might not have taken dance lessons. And, if he hadn’t learned how to dance, he wouldn’t have moved to New York City to be part of the chorus in the 1940 Broadway musical in “Pal Joey,” starring Gene Kelly. Kelly asked him to be his assistant choreographer in his next Great White Way production, “Best Foot Forward.” He would be fired from the show. Donen would renew his friendship with Kelly when they both headed to Hollywood and they would collaborate on “Cover Girl” and “An American in Paris.”
Eventually, they became co-directors on 1949’s “On the Town...
Without that influence he might not have taken dance lessons. And, if he hadn’t learned how to dance, he wouldn’t have moved to New York City to be part of the chorus in the 1940 Broadway musical in “Pal Joey,” starring Gene Kelly. Kelly asked him to be his assistant choreographer in his next Great White Way production, “Best Foot Forward.” He would be fired from the show. Donen would renew his friendship with Kelly when they both headed to Hollywood and they would collaborate on “Cover Girl” and “An American in Paris.”
Eventually, they became co-directors on 1949’s “On the Town...
- 2/23/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Stanley Donen, director of acclaimed movie musicals like Singin’ In The Rain and On the Town, has died at the age of 94.
One of Donen’s sons confirmed the director’s death to Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94 … A huge, often neglected talent,” Phillips tweeted Saturday morning. Cause of death has not been revealed.
Donen is best known as the creative force behind some of the greatest movie musicals of the Fifties, including 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain,...
One of Donen’s sons confirmed the director’s death to Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94 … A huge, often neglected talent,” Phillips tweeted Saturday morning. Cause of death has not been revealed.
Donen is best known as the creative force behind some of the greatest movie musicals of the Fifties, including 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain,...
- 2/23/2019
- by Ilana Kaplan
- Rollingstone.com
“Our love will last till the stars turn cold.” That line from “Singin’ in the Rain” perfectly sums up the sensibility of its director, Stanley Donen: absolute sincerity wedded to knowing irony. When Gene Kelly’s Don Lockwood says that to Debbie Reynolds’ Kathy Seldon, he’s actually quoting a line from the cornball movie he’s just made with Jean Hagen for which he has contempt: “The Duelling Cavalier.” But what Lockwood comes to recognize is that, polished just right, hokum can be made to sparkle — and can convey genuine feeling. Is “Our love will last till the stars turn cold” silly? Sure. But it’s beautiful too, and who wants to be so cynical as not to recognize that?
Donen, who died February 23 at age 94 after a nearly 70-year career across film and theater, recognized what so few do today: that two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time.
Donen, who died February 23 at age 94 after a nearly 70-year career across film and theater, recognized what so few do today: that two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time.
- 2/23/2019
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
David Crow Feb 23, 2019
Stanley Donen, legendary director of Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Charade, has passed away.
Stanley Donen, one of the filmmakers most associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood movie musicals out of the MGM Freed unit, has passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that includes Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, On the Town, Funny Face, and non-musical Audrey Hepburn classics like Charade and Two for the Road.
The news was confirmed by one of Donen’s sons to The Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The journalist tweeted Saturday morning, “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94… A huge, often neglected talent.”
Born in South Carolina in April 1924, Donen said later in life that he was inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals of the ‘30s,...
Stanley Donen, legendary director of Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Charade, has passed away.
Stanley Donen, one of the filmmakers most associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood movie musicals out of the MGM Freed unit, has passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that includes Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, On the Town, Funny Face, and non-musical Audrey Hepburn classics like Charade and Two for the Road.
The news was confirmed by one of Donen’s sons to The Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The journalist tweeted Saturday morning, “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94… A huge, often neglected talent.”
Born in South Carolina in April 1924, Donen said later in life that he was inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals of the ‘30s,...
- 2/23/2019
- Den of Geek
Oscar often calls when funny ladies get serious on the big screen. This year, it might be Melissa McCarthy’s turn to be recognized for her dramatic change of pace in the truth-based “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” As Lee Israel, a Manhattan-based curmudgeonly author with a drinking problem whose style of celebrity biographies have gone out of fashion by the year 1991, McCarthy drops all pretense of adopting her usual bouncy and brassy comic persona.
Instead, she wallows in disappointment, bitterness and child-like prankish behavior. In order to raise much-needed cash to pay her bills, she stoops to forging letters from long-dead celebrities and selling them to gullible bookstore owners and collectors. I kept waiting for McCarthy to part the clouds that hang over her character and inject a bit of her sunny side. Instead, she is marvelously morose as she performs a committed overcast performance that pays off big time as the movie concludes.
Instead, she wallows in disappointment, bitterness and child-like prankish behavior. In order to raise much-needed cash to pay her bills, she stoops to forging letters from long-dead celebrities and selling them to gullible bookstore owners and collectors. I kept waiting for McCarthy to part the clouds that hang over her character and inject a bit of her sunny side. Instead, she is marvelously morose as she performs a committed overcast performance that pays off big time as the movie concludes.
- 10/16/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
This article marks Part 1 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the Academy Awards winners.
The 1934 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Carioca” from “Flying Down to Rio”
“The Continental” from “The Gay Divorcee”
“Love in Bloom” from “She Loves Me Not”
Won: “The Continental” from “The Gay Divorcee”
Should’ve won: “Love in Bloom” from “She Loves Me Not”
The inaugural Best Original Song showdown included a mere three nominees – a far cry from the 10 nominations that would crowd this category a few years later, in 1938. Nominated were tracks from two Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers vehicles and then one, “Love in Bloom,” from an early Bing Crosby picture. None of the three songs are terribly memorable.
The 1934 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Carioca” from “Flying Down to Rio”
“The Continental” from “The Gay Divorcee”
“Love in Bloom” from “She Loves Me Not”
Won: “The Continental” from “The Gay Divorcee”
Should’ve won: “Love in Bloom” from “She Loves Me Not”
The inaugural Best Original Song showdown included a mere three nominees – a far cry from the 10 nominations that would crowd this category a few years later, in 1938. Nominated were tracks from two Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers vehicles and then one, “Love in Bloom,” from an early Bing Crosby picture. None of the three songs are terribly memorable.
- 7/9/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
The 1930s – more films about women, more films about working life. And often the two overlapped. You watch a film made today, it’s brutally clear that the people who made it rarely have to be anywhere In the ‘30s, at the height of the studio system, the entire creative force behind a picture worked 9-5 on the studio lot, just like anyone else. They had a workplace. And while many made a great deal more money than the characters they were depicting, they knew what it was to hold a job. That mindset, that constant awareness of money and office work and routine, bleeds into the pictures of the period.
Take a film like Rafter Romance, which played at TCM Classic Film Festival Friday morning. Ginger Rogers and Norman Foster star as two broke strangers living in the same apartment building (and they say people knew their neighbors back...
Take a film like Rafter Romance, which played at TCM Classic Film Festival Friday morning. Ginger Rogers and Norman Foster star as two broke strangers living in the same apartment building (and they say people knew their neighbors back...
- 4/12/2017
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
It’s hard to think of a musical that would benefit more from a Blu-ray boost than Ken Russell’s kaleidoscopic all dancing, all singing send-up of theatrical clichés on the music hall stage, circa 1925. We’re just happy that the adorable Twiggy got to be put in a film like this, to be enjoyed forever. The Russell crowd is all aboard, led by Glenda Jackson and Murray Melvin. Gosh!
The Boy Friend
Blu-ray
The Warner Archive Collection
1971 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 136 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian, Bryan Pringle, Murray Melvin, Moyra Fraser, Georgina Hale, Sally Bryant, Vladek Sheybal, Tommy Tune, Brian Murphy, Graham Armitage, Antonia Ellis, Caryl Little, Glenda Jackson.
Cinematography: David Watkin
Film Editor: Michael Bradsell
Production Design: Tony Walton
Costumes: Shirley Russell
Written by: Ken Russell from the musical by Sandy Wilson
Produced and Directed by: Ken Russell
Some...
The Boy Friend
Blu-ray
The Warner Archive Collection
1971 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 136 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian, Bryan Pringle, Murray Melvin, Moyra Fraser, Georgina Hale, Sally Bryant, Vladek Sheybal, Tommy Tune, Brian Murphy, Graham Armitage, Antonia Ellis, Caryl Little, Glenda Jackson.
Cinematography: David Watkin
Film Editor: Michael Bradsell
Production Design: Tony Walton
Costumes: Shirley Russell
Written by: Ken Russell from the musical by Sandy Wilson
Produced and Directed by: Ken Russell
Some...
- 2/18/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
on this day in history as it relates to the movies...
Dolores Del Río auditioning for Catwoman. No wait that's not right. Dolores Del Rio in Journey Into Fear (1943)1885 Carlo Montuori, famed cinematographer of Italian neorealism is born. He went on to lens the essential Bicycle Thief (1948)
1904 Dolores del Río, one of the first three Mexican actors to become movie stars in Hollywood (the others being her cousin Ramon Novarro and Lupe Vélez - they all started in silent films and moved into talkies), after which she used her fame and beauty as part of Mexican cinema's Golden Age with the occasional Hollywood film thrown in. Credits include: Bird of Paradise (1932), Flying Down To Rio (1933), Journey Into Fear (1943), Cheyenne Autumn (1964) and multiple Best Actress winning films in Mexico: Las Abandonadas (1944), El Niño y la Niebla (1953), and Doña Perfecta (1951).
1906 Alexandre Trauner, Oscar winning production designer. His credits include The Nun's Story...
Dolores Del Río auditioning for Catwoman. No wait that's not right. Dolores Del Rio in Journey Into Fear (1943)1885 Carlo Montuori, famed cinematographer of Italian neorealism is born. He went on to lens the essential Bicycle Thief (1948)
1904 Dolores del Río, one of the first three Mexican actors to become movie stars in Hollywood (the others being her cousin Ramon Novarro and Lupe Vélez - they all started in silent films and moved into talkies), after which she used her fame and beauty as part of Mexican cinema's Golden Age with the occasional Hollywood film thrown in. Credits include: Bird of Paradise (1932), Flying Down To Rio (1933), Journey Into Fear (1943), Cheyenne Autumn (1964) and multiple Best Actress winning films in Mexico: Las Abandonadas (1944), El Niño y la Niebla (1953), and Doña Perfecta (1951).
1906 Alexandre Trauner, Oscar winning production designer. His credits include The Nun's Story...
- 8/3/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Merle Oberon movies: Mysterious star of British and American cinema. Merle Oberon on TCM: Donning men's clothes in 'A Song to Remember,' fighting hiccups in 'That Uncertain Feeling' Merle Oberon is Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month of March 2016. The good news: the exquisite (and mysterious) Oberon, whose ancestry has been a matter of conjecture for decades, makes any movie worth a look. The bad news: TCM isn't offering any Oberon premieres despite the fact that a number of the actress' films – e.g., Temptation, Night in Paradise, Pardon My French, Interval – can be tough to find. This evening, March 18, TCM will be showing six Merle Oberon movies released during the first half of the 1940s. Never a top box office draw in the United States, Oberon was an important international star all the same, having worked with many of the top actors and filmmakers of the studio era.
- 3/19/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Best Song Oscar 2016 contender 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. 74 entries in contention for 2016 Best Song Academy Award 'Tis the season for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to announce the semi-finalists – in some instances, the semi-semi-finalists – for the Academy Awards. Today, the Academy released the list of songs eligible for the 2016 Best Song – or rather, Best Original Song – Oscar. There are 74 contenders, with titles ranging from “Happy” and “I'll See You in My Dreams” to “Hypnosis” and “Bhoomiyilenghanumundo.” Curiously, apart from the inevitable animated and/or kiddie flicks (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Anomalisa, Pan, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Home, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, etc.) most of this year's contenders are songs from smaller movies and Bollywood/South Asian releases. Exceptions include Sam Taylor-Johnson's Fifty Shades of Grey, Ryan Coogler's Creed, Kenneth Branagh's...
- 12/11/2015
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fred Astaire ca. 1935. Fred Astaire movies: Dancing in the dark, on the ceiling on TCM Aug. 5, '15, is Fred Astaire Day on Turner Classic Movies, as TCM continues with its “Summer Under the Stars” series. Just don't expect any rare Astaire movies, as the actor-singer-dancer's star vehicles – mostly Rko or MGM productions – have been TCM staples since the early days of the cable channel in the mid-'90s. True, Fred Astaire was also featured in smaller, lesser-known fare like Byron Chudnow's The Amazing Dobermans (1976) and Yves Boisset's The Purple Taxi / Un taxi mauve (1977), but neither one can be found on the TCM schedule. (See TCM's Fred Astaire movie schedule further below.) Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals Some fans never tire of watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing together. With these particular fans in mind, TCM is showing – for the nth time – nine Astaire-Rogers musicals of the '30s,...
- 8/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' star Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' trailer: Movie stunt combo "Desperate times. Desperate measures," says Tom Cruise aka Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation trailer aka the Mission: Impossible 5 and/or MI5 trailer. Whatever you call it, that particular line could be read in a number of ways: Tom Cruise's superstardom is in the doldrums – at least that's what we hear from those who see reality only through U.S.-focused lenses – and he needs all the box-office help he can get. Hence, MI5. Hollywood is in dire need of a mammoth domestic blockbuster following a year of mediocre-performing tentpoles at the U.S. box office. Hence, MI5. The world's socioeconomic fabric is about to unravel. Hence, MI5 – so humankind can go with a bang. Not only with a bang, but with mirth as well.
- 3/25/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Veterans Day movies on TCM: From 'The Sullivans' to 'Patton' (photo: George C. Scott in 'Patton') This evening, Turner Classic Movies is presenting five war or war-related films in celebration of Veterans Day. For those outside the United States, Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which takes place in late May. (Scroll down to check out TCM's Veterans Day movie schedule.) It's good to be aware that in the last century alone, the U.S. has been involved in more than a dozen armed conflicts, from World War I to the invasion of Iraq, not including direct or indirect military interventions in countries as disparate as Iran, Guatemala, and Chile. As to be expected in a society that reveres people in uniform, American war movies have almost invariably glorified American soldiers even in those rare instances when they have dared to criticize the military establishment.
- 11/12/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Pre-Code Hollywood studios spent millions transitioning their medium to sound and other new technologies that brought about major advances in photography, lighting, and set design. But there were still five million unemployed people in the United States and many more just getting by. The studios were losing money, many of them going bankrupt.
By 1930 the breadlines were longer than the ticket lines and people were slow to give up their hard earned money. They wanted to be entertained, they wanted to laugh and forget their troubles for just a while. Comedies, adventure, and musicals quickly became the most popular film genres of the time.
I. Pre-Code Action, Adventure, and Drama
Hollywood took their stories to the far corners of the earth as places like Africa, the South Pacific, and the Far East became exotic settings for movies. An island kingdom somewhere in the Pacific with strange creatures, even stranger natives,...
By 1930 the breadlines were longer than the ticket lines and people were slow to give up their hard earned money. They wanted to be entertained, they wanted to laugh and forget their troubles for just a while. Comedies, adventure, and musicals quickly became the most popular film genres of the time.
I. Pre-Code Action, Adventure, and Drama
Hollywood took their stories to the far corners of the earth as places like Africa, the South Pacific, and the Far East became exotic settings for movies. An island kingdom somewhere in the Pacific with strange creatures, even stranger natives,...
- 1/31/2014
- by Gregory Small
- CinemaNerdz
Wallace Beery movies: TCM offers a glimpse into Beery’s extensive filmography (photo: Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery in ‘Min and Bill’) According to the IMDb, the Wallace Beery Filmography features nearly 240 movie titles, including shorts and features, spanning more than three decades, from 1913 to 1949 — the year of his death at age 64. You’ll be able to catch about a dozen of these Wallace Beery movies on Saturday, August 17, 2013, as Turner Classic Movies continues with its "Summer Under the Stars" series. (See “TCM movie schedule: Wallace Beery from Pancho Villa to Long John Silver.”) Wallace Beery, much like fellow veteran Marie Dressler, with whom he co-starred in Min and Bill and its sequel, Tugboat Annie, was a Hollywood anomaly. At age 45, the ugly, coarse-looking actor became a top box-office draw in the United States after languishing in supporting roles, usually playing villains, throughout most of the silent era. Beery and Dressler,...
- 8/17/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
As the Academy celebrates 85 years of great films at the Oscars on February 24th, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is set to take movie fans on the ultimate studio tour with the 2013 edition of 31 Days Of Oscar®. Under the theme Oscar by Studio, the network will present a slate of more than 350 movies grouped according to the studios that produced or released them. And as always, every film presented during 31 Days Of Oscar is an Academy Award® nominee or winner, making this annual event one of the most anticipated on any movie lover’s calendar.
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
- 12/17/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ginger Rogers movies on TCM Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire became movie stars thanks to Dorothy Jordan. Jordan, Ramon Novarro’s leading lady in three popular early MGM musicals, had been cast as the second female lead in Rko’s Flying Down to Rio, a 1933 musical starring Mexican Dolores del Rio as a (hilarious) Brazilian and Gene Raymond as her red-white-and-blue suitor. But instead of practicing her tap dancing, Jordan opted to get married to King Kong co-director Merian C. Cooper. Enter Ginger Rogers. And what followed in the next two-and-a-half decades were a series of delightful performances in movie comedies, dramas, and musicals. Ginger [...]...
- 8/13/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Astaires, a dazzling double act, now have the biography they deserve
Although their first film, Flying Down to Rio, had been a smash, Fred Astaire was adamant that he didn't want to be teamed with Ginger Rogers for their follow-up. It wasn't that Astaire didn't like Rogers – he had dated her briefly when they had both been hoofers on Broadway – but as he said in an uncharacteristically strident letter to his agent in early 1934: "I've just managed to live down one partnership and I don't want to be bothered with any more."
That earlier partnership had been with Adele Astaire, his older sister by three years. Starting as a child act on the vaudeville circuit, supporting flame-throwers and performing seals, the Astaires had developed into slick, serviceable "dancing comedians". Their big break came in 1923 when they appeared in Stop Flirting on Shaftesbury Avenue. Although the piece hadn't been tailor-made,...
Although their first film, Flying Down to Rio, had been a smash, Fred Astaire was adamant that he didn't want to be teamed with Ginger Rogers for their follow-up. It wasn't that Astaire didn't like Rogers – he had dated her briefly when they had both been hoofers on Broadway – but as he said in an uncharacteristically strident letter to his agent in early 1934: "I've just managed to live down one partnership and I don't want to be bothered with any more."
That earlier partnership had been with Adele Astaire, his older sister by three years. Starting as a child act on the vaudeville circuit, supporting flame-throwers and performing seals, the Astaires had developed into slick, serviceable "dancing comedians". Their big break came in 1923 when they appeared in Stop Flirting on Shaftesbury Avenue. Although the piece hadn't been tailor-made,...
- 7/4/2012
- by Kathryn Hughes
- The Guardian - Film News
From Fred and Ginger to Jennifer and Ashton, romantic comedies used to be one of the safest bets in Hollywood. But it seems that rom is just not into com any more
Is it the end for the romcom? You can imagine the celebrity mag headlines: "Romcom's relationship on the rocks?" "Com: I'm just not that into Rom" "Rom: Com doesn't make me laugh any more."
After all, who says romance and comedy go together like a horse and carriage? It seems to be a chiselled Hollywood commandment that the two shall be forever conjoined in cinematic matrimony, but perhaps it's time they went their separate ways. Sure, they got off to a great start: in those early years it was all fun and games and sparkling repartee, but recently they haven't quite looked the happy couple; the spark just hasn't been there.
They've been stuck in the same repetitive formula: boy meets girl,...
Is it the end for the romcom? You can imagine the celebrity mag headlines: "Romcom's relationship on the rocks?" "Com: I'm just not that into Rom" "Rom: Com doesn't make me laugh any more."
After all, who says romance and comedy go together like a horse and carriage? It seems to be a chiselled Hollywood commandment that the two shall be forever conjoined in cinematic matrimony, but perhaps it's time they went their separate ways. Sure, they got off to a great start: in those early years it was all fun and games and sparkling repartee, but recently they haven't quite looked the happy couple; the spark just hasn't been there.
They've been stuck in the same repetitive formula: boy meets girl,...
- 2/11/2012
- by Steve Rose, Richard Vine
- The Guardian - Film News
The release this week of the Criterion Collection’s DVD and Blu-ray of Ernst Lubitsch’s Design for Living (1933) sent me off in search of posters for the film, which led me on a virtual paper-chase that ended up with my scouring Palm Springs newspapers for articles about a nonagenarian retiree.
The one design for the film that really caught my eye was this bold, brightly colored, but somewhat crudely illustrated (it doesn’t really do Miriam Hopkins justice) poster. Tracing it back to Heritage Auctions, which sold the poster in 2008, I discovered that it was one of a batch of rare two sheets that had been saved by the original artist and passed down to his family. Two sheets, which measure 41" x 54" (the size of two regular posters) were printed in New York and designed specifically to be used for outdoor advertising in the city as well as on the subway.
The one design for the film that really caught my eye was this bold, brightly colored, but somewhat crudely illustrated (it doesn’t really do Miriam Hopkins justice) poster. Tracing it back to Heritage Auctions, which sold the poster in 2008, I discovered that it was one of a batch of rare two sheets that had been saved by the original artist and passed down to his family. Two sheets, which measure 41" x 54" (the size of two regular posters) were printed in New York and designed specifically to be used for outdoor advertising in the city as well as on the subway.
- 12/9/2011
- MUBI
As Hollywood threatens to remake The Thin Man, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Home Entertainment are releasing a Thin Man collection as one of three new classic film collections being added to their Greatest Classic Films and Legends lines (The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, Another Thin Man, Shadow of the Thin Man), all starring the iconic screen couple William Powell and Myrna Loy as happily tipsy sleuths Nick and Nora Charles. The other two collections also feature Golden Age screen couples, but of the singer-dancer variety: young MGM-era Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland (Girl Crazy, Strike Up the Band, Babes in Arms, Babes on Broadway) and the second-tier Astaire and Rogers Volume Two (Flying Down to Rio [pictured], Follow the Fleet, The Story ...
- 7/28/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Statue of the late star posing over a drafty subway vent causes outrage in Chicago
The big story
It's the big Marilyn. And the big fuss a 26ft-statue of the Hollywood icon has caused in Chicago, where a monolithic Monroe - stuck with her skirt blown up in the famous pose from The Seven Year Itch - towers over the city's Pioneer Court, allowing leerers and jeerers alike to cop a giant's eyeful.
Labelled Forever Marilyn by 80-year-old New Jersey sculptor Steward Johnson, the statue has been described as "sexist" and "creepy" by critics, among them film writer Richard Roeper: "Men (and women) licking Marilyn's leg, gawking up her skirt, pointing at her giant panties as they leer and laugh," huffed the Chicago Sun-Times columnist, which sorta cooled the ankles of those who had been merrily papping the blonde bombshell's giant errrrr ... smalls.
Still, you suspect this Marilyn would...
The big story
It's the big Marilyn. And the big fuss a 26ft-statue of the Hollywood icon has caused in Chicago, where a monolithic Monroe - stuck with her skirt blown up in the famous pose from The Seven Year Itch - towers over the city's Pioneer Court, allowing leerers and jeerers alike to cop a giant's eyeful.
Labelled Forever Marilyn by 80-year-old New Jersey sculptor Steward Johnson, the statue has been described as "sexist" and "creepy" by critics, among them film writer Richard Roeper: "Men (and women) licking Marilyn's leg, gawking up her skirt, pointing at her giant panties as they leer and laugh," huffed the Chicago Sun-Times columnist, which sorta cooled the ankles of those who had been merrily papping the blonde bombshell's giant errrrr ... smalls.
Still, you suspect this Marilyn would...
- 7/21/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Iain Sinclair and Chris Petit's film installation, Flying Down to Rio, takes the viewer on a journey via a wall-to-wall simulated drive
An installation taking up four walls and 16 frames, simulating a car driving north from Dalston Junction, with cameras mounted left, right, fore and aft, Flying Down to Rio itself marks the convergence of two paths, reuniting Iain Sinclair and Chris Petit. Petit's fascination with the view from the dashboard dates back to the 1970s. "Music and speed, combined with the ratio of the windscreen, made for an experience that was often more cinematic than the films I had to review for Time Out," he has said; and his debut film Radio On (1979) contained a cherished driving sequence shot on the Westway, in tribute to Jg Ballard's Crash and Concrete Island, and soundtracked by David Bowie.
Over the decades, through London Orbital (2002), also made with Sinclair, and Content (2009), the windscreen shots have proliferated,...
An installation taking up four walls and 16 frames, simulating a car driving north from Dalston Junction, with cameras mounted left, right, fore and aft, Flying Down to Rio itself marks the convergence of two paths, reuniting Iain Sinclair and Chris Petit. Petit's fascination with the view from the dashboard dates back to the 1970s. "Music and speed, combined with the ratio of the windscreen, made for an experience that was often more cinematic than the films I had to review for Time Out," he has said; and his debut film Radio On (1979) contained a cherished driving sequence shot on the Westway, in tribute to Jg Ballard's Crash and Concrete Island, and soundtracked by David Bowie.
Over the decades, through London Orbital (2002), also made with Sinclair, and Content (2009), the windscreen shots have proliferated,...
- 7/20/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Creator of film special effects who turned an 18-inch model ape into King Kong
In the history of cinema, many children have followed their mothers or fathers into the film business, but few offspring pursued the path of a parent more slavishly than Harry Redmond Jr, who has died aged 101. Like a master craftsman, Harry Redmond Sr passed on the skills of his trade to his son, the trade being the creation of special effects for films. Most notably, they worked together on King Kong (1933), in which a giant gorilla captures an actor, Ann Darrow, played by the "scream queen" Fay Wray.
The Redmonds were important members of the King Kong technical team under the supervision of Willis O'Brien, the pioneer of model animation. Part of their job was to integrate the stop-motion models and animatronics into live-action sequences by means of back projection and travelling mattes. Although the model...
In the history of cinema, many children have followed their mothers or fathers into the film business, but few offspring pursued the path of a parent more slavishly than Harry Redmond Jr, who has died aged 101. Like a master craftsman, Harry Redmond Sr passed on the skills of his trade to his son, the trade being the creation of special effects for films. Most notably, they worked together on King Kong (1933), in which a giant gorilla captures an actor, Ann Darrow, played by the "scream queen" Fay Wray.
The Redmonds were important members of the King Kong technical team under the supervision of Willis O'Brien, the pioneer of model animation. Part of their job was to integrate the stop-motion models and animatronics into live-action sequences by means of back projection and travelling mattes. Although the model...
- 6/28/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
A couple of weeks ago there was a lot of buzz about the fact that this rare teaser poster (the only one known to be in existence) for the 1935 The Bride of Frankenstein was poised to break the world record for the sale of a movie poster. The record, held since 2005, was for one of four known copies of a 1927 German poster for Metropolis, which sold at London’s Reel Poster Gallery for $690,000. Prior to that the record had been held for 8 years by a poster for the 1932 The Mummy sold in auction at Sotheby’s in New York for $453,500. (The third highest selling poster of all time, for the record, is also Metropolis). It was hoped that the Bride poster would fetch over $700,000 at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills (Heritage, based out of Dallas, handles 70 percent of the world's movie poster auction sales) but it failed to reach its...
- 11/26/2010
- MUBI
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, the too-hot-for-his-shirt werewolf in David Slade's The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart Flying Down to Rio for Breaking Dawn Shoot Taylor Lautner in Rio for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn? Everything is possible, but don't bet on it. The source for the Taylor Lautner visit next Friday, who would be flying to Rio along with fellow Twilight Saga players Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, is the O Globo gossip/local news column "Gente Boa" ("Cool People"). (The Nov. 5 arrival itself hasn't been confirmed anywhere else.) This could be merely a case of the "Gente Boa" writer(s) being unaware that the Twilight love triangle is downsized to a twosome when Edward Cullen and Bella Swan Cullen spend their furniture-smashing honeymoon on an islet off the coast of Rio — a fateful (or fruitful, depending on your take) honeymoon that, quite appropriately, leads to...
- 11/1/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Food Network has a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives marathon all night. At 8, NBC has an Nfc Playoff Game, the Eagles vs. the Cowboys. Fox has a new Cops at 8. Hgtv has a new Divine Design at 8. TCM has Notorious at 8, then Flying Down to Rio. At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a new True Jackson, VP, followed by a new episode of The Troop. At 9, Fox has a new America's Most Wanted. CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9. Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Secret Saturdays at 9. Hallmark has the movie The Wishing Well at 9. Also at 9: BBC America has a new Demons, then a new Graham Norton Show. At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery. At 11, Fox has a new Wanda Sykes Show. At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Charles Barkley and Alicia Keys.
Check your local TV listings for more.
Filed under: Programming,...
Check your local TV listings for more.
Filed under: Programming,...
- 1/9/2010
- by Bob Sassone
- Aol TV.
Hard Boiled director John Woo told us he would like to make a romantic movie, but that's not what his fans want from him. Among his many avid followers, Woo counts noted directors Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino,
Woo's latest epic, which opens in limited release November 18th, shouldn't dissapoint. Billed as the most-expensive production in the history of Asian movies, Red Cliff features thousands of extras in its battle sequences. The movie tells the legendary story of the final bloody days of the Han Dynasty in A.D. 220.
The famed action master loves old Hollywood musicals, especially those featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Woo revealed during the taping of an episode of The Charlie Rose Show, set to air closer to the movie's release, that his balletic war scenes are actually choreographed with those classic musicals in mind.
Next Showing:
Red Cliff - Trailer
The battle...
Woo's latest epic, which opens in limited release November 18th, shouldn't dissapoint. Billed as the most-expensive production in the history of Asian movies, Red Cliff features thousands of extras in its battle sequences. The movie tells the legendary story of the final bloody days of the Han Dynasty in A.D. 220.
The famed action master loves old Hollywood musicals, especially those featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Woo revealed during the taping of an episode of The Charlie Rose Show, set to air closer to the movie's release, that his balletic war scenes are actually choreographed with those classic musicals in mind.
Next Showing:
Red Cliff - Trailer
The battle...
- 10/22/2009
- by reelz reelz
- Reelzchannel.com
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