Actors
Gone Too Soon — Why the Sudden Death of Carole Lombard Still Hurts
At age 33, Carole Lombard had it all. She was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, and happily married to its biggest male star: Clark Gable. She had proven herself one of the industry’s top comediennes, but her beauty and talent could extend to serious roles too. Only good things lay ahead.
Actors
How Pacifist Actor Richard Widmark Could Turn Violent On-Screen
In 1947, a successful young radio actor named Richard Widmark arrived at Twentieth Century Fox in Hollywood to try out for his first film. His hope was to be cast in “Kiss of Death,” another in a series of dark crime dramas popular after the Second War which would eventually become known as “film noir.”
Actors
The Sizzle of Cyd Charisse — Hollywood’s Dynamite Dancer
Fred Astaire called her “beautiful dynamite.” After nearly a decade in films, it was hardly surprising that she finally broke through playing a vamp who ensnares Gene Kelly in the immortal “Gotta Dance” sequence from “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Actors
Why 1939 Was the Year of Thomas Mitchell
Thomas Mitchell was one of the most admired and successful character actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but to most viewers today, his face is more familiar than his name. When you hear more about Mitchell’s amazing career, you’ll agree we should all know his name — and revere his memory.
Biographical
Poetry in Motion: How Fred and Ginger Clicked
As so often happens in Hollywood, the most famous and beloved dance team in the history of movies was the result of a happy accident. The year was 1933, the studio was the financially strapped RKO, the film a Dolores Del Rio vehicle called “Flying Down to Rio.”
Actors
The Short and Crazy Life of Errol Flynn
“I intend to live the first half of my life. I don’t care about the rest.”Movie star, athlete, yachtsman, writer, adventurer and overall wild man Errol Flynn gave the world many memorable quotes, but the one above may be the most revealing.
Actors
Seriously Funny — The Curious Life and Career of Jean Arthur
In the 1930s, when so many women in America were still relegated to the kitchen and nursery, one actress in Hollywood became a star playing independent women who worked for a living, competing with men in a man’s world. Her name was Jean Arthur.
Actors
The Grand Old Character Actors of Comedy
You may not remember their names, but you will certainly remember their faces, their voices, and the characters they played.
Actors
Why the Forgotten Ann Sheridan Deserves to Be Remembered
There are certain stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age who over time fade from our collective consciousness like an old photograph. Ann Sheridan is a divine case in point. Only the most serious movie buff is likely to remember her or appreciate her contribution to film, which was considerable.