Joanne Dru, Mario Lanza & Jean Simmons

Who was born on this date:

Actress Joanne Dru was born on January 31, 1922 in Logan, West Virginia. Born Joan LaCock, she came to New York City in 1940 and found work as a model. That same year she was chosen by Al Jolson to appear in the cast of his Broadway show, Hold onto Your Hat. Her first film appearance was in Abie’s Irish Rose (1946). Over the next decade, Dru appeared frequently in films and on television. She was cast often in westerns films such as Red River (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Wagon Master (1950). She also appeared in All the King’s Men (1949), The Pride of St. Louis (1952), Thunder Bay (1953), and Three Ring Circus (1954). Dru was the elder sister of Peter Marshall, who is best known as the original host of The Hollywood Squares. She was also married to Red River co-star, John Ireland from 1949-1957. Joanne Dru died on September 10, 1996 from lymph edema in Los Angeles and her ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean.

Singer/ actor Mario Lanza was born on January 31, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16 and after appearing at the Hollywood Bowl in 1947, Lanza signed a seven-year contract with MGM. His movie debut was in That Midnight Kiss (1949), followed by The Toast of New Orleans (1950), and The Great Caruso (1951). Lanza was known to be rebellious, tough, and ambitious, and during most of his film career, he suffered from addictions to overeating and alcohol which had a serious effect on his health and his relationships. He made three more films before dying of a pulmonary embolism on October 7, 1959 in Rome. At the time of his death he was still "the most famous tenor in the world.” He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Numerous tragedies followed as Lanza's widow, Betty, moved back to Hollywood with their four children, but died five months later from a respiratory ailment. In 1991, Marc, the younger of their two sons, died of a heart attack at the age of 37; six years later, Colleen, their elder daughter, was killed when she was struck by two passing vehicles on a highway, she was 48. The couple’s elder son, Damon Lanza, died in August 2008 of a heart attack at the age of 55.

Actress Jean Simmons was born on January 31, 1929 in London, England. She was discovered by Val Guest, who cast her in Give Us the Moon (1944). She then went on to appear in Great Expectations (1946) and Hamlet (1948) for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. Other film credits include Uncle Silas (1947), Black Narcissus (1947), Adam and Evelyne (1949). The Actress (1953), The Robe (1953), Young Bess (1953), Desiree (1954), The Egyptian (1954), Guys and Dolls (19555), Elmer Gantry (1960), Spartacus (1960), All the Way Home (1963), and The Happy Ending (1969), for which she received her second Oscar nomination. In 1950, she married actor Stewart Granger, with whom she appeared in several films, the couple divorced in 1960. By the 1970s Simmons turned her focus to stage and television acting. Simmons died from lung cancer on January 22, 2010 in Santa Monica, California and her cremated remains are interred at Highgate Cemetery in London.

Barbara LaMarr

Who died on this date:

On January 30, 1926, silent film actress Barbara La Marr died. She was born Reatha  Dale Watson on July 28, 1896 in Yakima, Washington. She was known as "The Girl Who Is Too Beautiful." La Marr made the successful leap from writer to actress in Douglas Fairbanks, The Nut (1921). She appeared in over 30 films, wrote seven successful screenplays for United Artists and Fox Studios. La Marr's notable film credits include The Prisoner of Zenda (1922), and Trifling Women (1922).  Although her film career flourished, she also embraced the fast-paced Hollywood nightlife, remarking in an interview that she slept no more than two hours a night. 

La Marr was married five times. At the time of her death she was married to actor Jack Dougherty. Some years after her death, it was revealed that she had mothered a son by a man whose name has never been released. The child, Marvin Carville La Marr, was adopted by the actress Zasu Pitts. The child was renamed Don Gallery and grew up to become an actor and a sometime boyfriend of Elizabeth Taylor. On January 30, 1926, La Marr died of tuberculosis and nephritis in Altadena, California at the age of 29. She is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

W.C. Fields, Victor Mature, Jimmy Durante, Harold Russell, Alan Ladd

Who was born on this date:

Legendary comedic actor W.C. Fields was born William Claude Dukenfield on January 29, 1880 in Darby, Pennsylvania. He was known for his comic hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathetic character despite his contempt for dogs, children and women. Fields starred in a couple of short comedies, filmed in New York in 1915. His stage commitments prevented him from doing more movie work until 1924. His best known film credits include Million Dollar legs (1932), The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933), David Copperfield (1935), My Little Chickadee (1940), and The Bank Dick (1940). Fields died on January 29, 1946 at the Las Encinas Sanitarium in Pasadena, California from alcohol related stomach hemorrhage. His cremated remains are interred at Forest Lawn Glendale.

Actor Victor Mature was born on January 29, 1913in Louisville, Kentucky. He was discovered while on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse, his first leading role was as a fur-clad caveman in One Million B.C. (1940).  His other notable film roles include My Darling Clementine (1946), Samson and Delilah (1949), Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), and The Robe (1953). Mature was famously self-deprecatory about his acting skills. Once, after being rejected for membership in a country club because he was an actor, he cracked, "I'm not an actor — and I've got sixty-four films to prove it!" He was quoted in 1968 on his acting career: "Actually, I am a golfer. That is my real occupation. I never was an actor. Ask anybody, particularly the critics." Victor Mature died of leukemia on August 4, 1999 at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California and is buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Who died on this date:

On January 29, 1980, actor/ comedian Jimmy Durante died. He was born on February 10, 1893 in New York City. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s. His jokes about his nose included referring to it as a "Schnozzola", and the word became his nickname. Durante retired from performing in 1972 after suffering a stroke that left him confined to a wheelchair. He died of pneumonia on January 29, 1980 in Santa Monica, California. And is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

On January 29, 2002, actor Harold Russell died. He won the best supporting Oscar winner for 1947 was not even a professional actor. Harold John Russell was born on January 14, 1914 in North Sydney, Nova Scotia and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He joined the Army on December 8, 1941, the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and became a paratrooper and explosives expert. In 1944, at Fort Mackall, North Carolina, he had a charge of TNT explode in his hands during a training exercise. The injuries were so extensive that both hands hand to be amputated. A short time after the accident, he was cast in an Army documentary, Diary of a Sergeant that detailed his rehabilitation efforts. Hollywood film director, William Wyler saw this documentary and offered Russell the part of Homer Parish in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). His performance in this film was critically and commercially well received, and he was nominated for a best supporting Academy. He beat out other veteran actors to win the award. Upon accepting the gold statuette, Russell was so moved by the rousing applause from the audience that he was overcome with emotion and reduced to tears. He also received an honorary Oscar, “For bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.” He is the only actor to ever receive two Oscars for the same role.  

Following this film, Russell attended Brown University and then became a founder member of AMVETS. He also made it is life long quest to help the disabled. He went on to appear in a handful of films and several television programs such as Inside Moves (1980), Trapper John, M.D. (1981), and Dogtown (1997). Russell wrote two autobiographies, Victory in My Hands (1947) and The Best Years of My Life (1981). In 1992, Russell caused a stir when he decided to sell his best supporting actor Oscar. Russell told the press that he wanted put some money away for his children and grandchildren. The Academy of Motion Pictures Sciences urged him not sell and even tried to purchase the statuette, offering $20,000 but Russell held out and it was eventually sold for more than $60,000 to an anonymous buyer. On January 29, 2002, Russell died from a heart attack at age eighty-eight. Harold Russell’s grave is found at the Lakeview Cemetery in Cochituate, Massachusetts.

On January 29, 1964, actor Alan Ladd died. He was born on September 3, 1913 was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ladd’s film career began with small parts in such movies as Citizen Kane and Joan of Paris (1942). He came into his own as a leading man in This Gun for Hire (1942), in which he played "Raven," a hit man with a conscience. Ladd went on to star in many Paramount Pictures films that included The Glass Key (1942) and Lucky Jordan (1942). His cool, unsmiling persona proved popular with wartime audiences, and he was quickly established as one of the top box office stars of the decade and was often paired with actress Veronica Lake. In 1946, he starred in a trio of silver screen classics: Tow Years Before the Mast, The Blue Dahlia and O.S.S. Ladd played the title role in the 1953 western Shane, which was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In November 1962, Ladd was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart from an unsuccessful suicide attempt. In 1963 Ladd filmed a supporting role in The Carpetbaggers but did not live to see its release. On January 29, 1964 he was found dead in Palm Springs, California from an acute overdose of "alcohol and other drugs,” the death was rules an accident. Ladd was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

Ernst Lubitsch

Who was born on this date:

Director Ernst Lubitsch was born on January 29, 1892 in Berlin, Germany. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch." In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his distinguished contributions to the art of the motion picture. He was nominated three times for Best Director.

In 1918, he made his mark as a serious director with The Eyes of the Mummy, starring Pola Negri. Lubitsch enjoyed great international success and his reputation as a grand master of world cinema reached a new peak after the release of Passion (1919) and Deception (1920). Lubitsch arrived in Hollywood in 1922, and directed Mary Pickford in Rosita; the result was a critical and commercial success. He would establish a reputation for sophisticated comedy with such stylish films as The Marriage Circle (1924), and So This Is Paris (1926).

Lubitsch seized upon the advent of talkies to direct musicals. With his first sound film, The Love Parade (1929), Lubitsch hit his stride as a maker of worldly musical comedies and earned an Oscar nomination. Other notable film credits include The Merry Widow (1934), Ninotchka (1939), starring Greta Garbo, The Shop Around the Corner (1940), To Be or Not to Be (1942), starring Carole Lombard in her last film. Lubitsch died on November 30, 1947 from a heart attack in Hollywood and is buried at Forest Lawn Glendale.

Film Review of "The Help"

The Help

Winner of the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer) and nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer)

The Help, set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, follows Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan (played by Emma Stone), a young college graduate who has just returned home with a degree from Ole Miss. Skeeter dreams of becoming a real author, and immediately lands a job with the town newspaper as the writer of the cleaning column. She soon decides to secretly pen a book exposing what life is like from the point of view of the African American women who cook, clean and raise white children. Aibileen (played by Viola Davis) is the maid for Skeeter's best friend Elizabeth (played by Ahna O’Reilly). She does all the cooking, she cleans, she goes to the grocery story, and most important, she takes care of Elizabeth's daughter. Although reluctant at first, Aibileen is motivated by a desire to remember her late son and is the first maid to agree to talk with Skeeter.  

The next maid to agree to tell her story is Minny (played by Octavia Spencer), who works for Hilly Holbrook (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), the town's queen bee. Minny is the best cook in town but Hilly's manipulative ways finally become too much for her, and she gets some nasty revenge on her overbearing employer. After which, Minny goes to work for Celia Foote, a naive young lady who is considered white trash by Hilly and her friends. As racial tensions rise and tragedy strikes in the town, more maids find the courage to come forward. Despite the possibility of terrible backlash, the women tell “all” for the book.  

The movie sets the tone right away; the bright and sunshiny presentation cloaks the story, and along with genuine humor, lightens the weightiness of the subject matter and hints at the uplifting feeling of triumph and sisterhood that will ultimately prevail. How do you take a potentially highly emotionally charged, painful and divisive civil rights issue and make it into a pleasant, poignant unifying and uplifting story? First, you add a little Southern charm, and then throw in a dash of real, honest humor. Brilliantly adapted to the silver screen from Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel, The Help will make you laugh, and probably cry, and it will likely leave you a better person for having seen it.  

Release – Dreamworks (2011)

Runtime - 137 minutes

Director – Tate Taylor
Cast - Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Anna Camp, Ahna O’Reilly, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney

Watch trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ajv_6pUnI

Film Review of "Hugo"

Hugo

Winner of the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Director (Martin Scorsese) and nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director

Martin Scorses’s Hugo is set in Paris in 1931 and begins with a breathtaking shot of the city, as the camera swoops down on to a busy railway station. It ends up on the 12-year-old Hugo, who is peering at the world from behind a giant clock. Hugo (Asa Butterfield) has inherited a love of tinkering with machinery from his late father, and has quite recently taken over the job of superintending the station's clocks from his drunken uncle. The boy lives in the hidden tunnels and passageways of the building, where he's repairing a 19th-century automaton. He's a crafty Charles Dickens like orphan, a cinematic voyeur looking out on the world. Fate has brought him there, and it then draws him into the orbit of a querulous old man, Georges (Ben Kingsley), who runs an old-fashioned shop on the station selling toys and doing mechanical repairs, assisted by his 12-year-old god-daughter, Isabelle. Hugo becomes involved with the old man when he's accused of theft and has a cherished book of drawings confiscated. He is then assisted by Isabelle in retrieving the book, and in turn, when he discovers she's forbidden to go to the movies, he takes her on a great "adventure", a visit to the lost world of silent movies. A labyrinth of plot twists takes the pair on a journey into a mysterious past in which they discover the origins of the movies in the late 19th century careers of the Lumière brothers.

Hugo is a moving, funny and exhilarating film, an imaginative history lesson in the form of a detective story. The film is a great defense of the cinema as a dream world, a complementary, countervailing, transformative force to the brutalizing reality we see all around us. It rejects the sneers of those intellectuals and moralizers who see in film a debilitating escapism. Hugo has a wonderfully gifted team behind it with a talented British cast (except for the delightful young American Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle). Scorsese has created a timeless and wondrously imaginative film. It’s a love letter to the cinema and its preservation. An instant classic.

Run-time – 1hour, 27 minutes

Production – Paramount Pictures (2011)

Director – Martin Scorsese

Cast - Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, Jude Law

Watch trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5IP-78xH6g

Film Review of "War Horse"

War Horse

Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture

War Horse succeeds at offering a compelling look at multiple facets of World War I. The movie begins when Albert (played by Jeremy Irvine) suddenly becomes the young owner of an untrained and unruly horse. The pair forms a tight bond as the stubborn horse named Joey helps his young trainer beat the odds and save his parents farm from financial ruin. Despite their victory, Britain begins to deploy for war with Germany, and Joey is effectively enlisted in the British army, acting as the battle horse for Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) and leaving Albert behind. Nicholls is only the first of many people that Joey touches as he traverses one of the most horrifying human conflicts in history. The vignettes are masterfully woven together, and despite jumping from person to person, it successfully balances Joey’s experience with the overarching effect the war is having on people from all walks of life. 

The marketing for the film might lead some moviegoers to think that War Horse is a mostly lighthearted and inspiring adventure suitable for young children but that would be a mistake. For casual audiences, this film may actually be one of the heavier films of the year, as the World War seemingly destroys everything in its wake (soldiers, innocents, and animals alike) but the heavy tone and heart-wrenching moments don’t detract from the overall success of the film. The unrelenting nature of the film is almost certainly intentional and helps ground audiences in the horrors of World War I. However, there’s no doubt that each of the vignettes can be exceptionally draining, especially because the terrible deeds of man far outweigh any moments of lightheartedness. Spielberg does manage to instill a number of the characters with enjoyable and lively personalities; however, even the most hopeful and cheerful of these personalities are ultimately overrun by the relentless war machine. As a result, the film can at times come across as a continuous descent into increasingly horrifying human experiences. 

That’s not to say that there aren’t a number of lighthearted moments, mainly due to the success of the equine actors coupled with some inspired performances from their human counterparts. Joey exudes a tremendous amount of personality and provides believable reactions to the various scenarios portrayed onscreen. Spielberg makes use of the horses to great effect, showcasing the majesty and beauty of the animals, while successfully portraying the horrors that befell them. Jeremy Irvine is competent in the lead role as Albert, and there’s no doubt the actor was challenged selling the emotional bond between his character and Joey. Once the film gets rolling it moves at a brisk pace. War Horse offers a number of memorable moments both tragic and profound but even the most inspiring moments are wrought with the horror of the war. But with that said, War Horse is a compelling film with heart and is one of the best movies of the year.

Run-time - 1 hour 26 minutes

Director - Steven Speilberg

Touchstone Picures

Cast - Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Kross, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, Peter Mullan, Toby Kebbell, Tom Hiddleston

Watch trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7lf9HgFAwQ

Paul Newman, Charles Lane & Edward G. Robinson

Who was born on this date:

Actor Paul Newman was born on January 26, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for best actor in the 1986s, The Color of Money. Newman was a co-founder of Newman’s Own, a food company from which Newman donated all post-tax profits and royalties to charity. Newman attended the Yale School of Drama for one year before moving to New York City to study under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. In 1953, he made his Broadway debut in the original production of Picnic. During this time Newman started acting in television. He had his first credited TV or film appearance with a small but notable part in a 1952 episode of the science fiction TV series Tales of Tomorrow. His first movie was The Silver Chalice (1954) and by 1958, he was one of the hottest new stars in Hollywood, starring in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), opposite Elizabeth Taylor. The film was a box office smash and Newman garnered his first Academy Award nomination.  

Newman was one of the few actors who successfully made the transition from 1950s cinema to that of the 1960s and 1970s. His rebellious persona translated well to a subsequent generation. Newman starred in Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Hombre (1967), Cool hand Luke (1967), The Towering Inferno (1974), Slap Shot (1977), and The Verdict (1982). He teamed with fellow actor Robert Redford for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973). His last screen appearance was as a conflicted mob boss in the 2002 film Road to Perdition opposite Tom Hanks. Newman announced that he would retire from acting on May 25, 2007. He stated that he did not feel he could continue acting at the level he wanted to.  

Newman was married twice first to Jackie Witte from 1949 to 1958. He met actress Joanne Woodward in 1953. Shortly after filming The Long, Hot Summer, in 1957 he divorced Witte. He married Woodward early in 1958. They remained married for fifty years until his death. The Newman’s lived away from the Hollywood environment, making their home in Westport, Connecticut. Newman was well known for his devotion to his wife and family. When asked once about infidelity, he famously quipped, "Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?" In June 2008, it was widely reported that Newman, a former chain smoker, had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was receiving treatment in New York City. In August, after reportedly finishing chemotherapy, Newman told his family he wished to die at home. He died there on September 26, 2008, surrounded by his family and close friends. His remains were cremated and final disposition is unknown.

Actor Charles Lane was born on January 26, 1905 in San Francisco, California. He appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. He appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). He was a favored supporting actor of Lucille Ball, who often used him as a no-nonsense authority figure and comedic foe of her scatterbrained TV character on her TV series I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour and The Lucy Show. Lane also appeared in the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young, and 1963’s It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. His final acting role was at the age of 101 in 2006's The Night Before Christmas. His last television appearance was at the age of 90, when he appeared in the 1995 Disney TV remake of its 1970 teen comedy The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, with Kirk Cameron. Lane died on July 9, 2007 and is buried at Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma, California.

Who died on this date:

On January 26, 1973, actor Edward G. Robinson died. He was born on December 12, 1893 in Bucharest. He began his acting career in 1913 and made his Broadway debut in 1915. He made his film debut in a minor and uncredited role in 1916. Robinson was popular in the 1930s and 1940s and was able to avoid many flops during a 50-year career that included 101 films. An acclaimed performance as the gangster Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello in Little (1931) led to him being typecast as a "tough guy" for much of his early career in works such as Five Star Final (1931), Smart Money (1931), Tiger Shark (1932), Kid Galahad (1937), Larceny Inc. (1942), Double Indemnity (1944), The Woman in the Window (1945), Scarlet Street (1945) and The Stranger (1946). As a memorable tribute to his past gangster roles, he appeared as 'Johnny Rocco' in Key Largo (1948). He also appeared in numerous 'B' movies such as Vice Squad (1953), Tank Battalion (1958).Director Cecil B. DeMille cast him as Dathan in The Ten Commandments in 1956. Robinson's acting career was later bolstered by notable roles in 1959's A Hole in the Head and the Cincinnati Kid (1965). Robinson's last film was Soylent Green (1973). Edward G. Robinson died from cancer on January 26, 1973 and was buried at Beth-El Cemetery in Queens, New York.

Ava Gardner

Who died on this date:

On January 25, 1990, actress Ava Gardner died. She was born on December 24, 1922 in Grabtown, North Carolina. She was one of Hollywood's most beautiful actresses and was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for Mogambo (1953). She appeared in several high-profile films from the late 1940s to 1970s, including The Killers (1946), The Hucksters (1947), Show Boat (1951), The Snow of Kilimanjaro (1952), The Barefoor Contessa (1954), Bhowano Junction (1956), On the Beach (1959), The Night of the Iguana (1964), Earthquake (1974), and The Cassandra Crossing (1976).  

Soon after her arrival in Los Angeles, Gardner met fellow MGM contract player Mickey Rooney; they married in 1942; she was 19 years old and he was 21. Rooney and Gardner divorced in 1943. Gardner was close friends with Howard Hughes in the early to mid-1940s and the relationship lasted into the 1950s. Gardner's second marriage was brief and to jazz musician and band leader Artie Shaw from 1945 to 1946. Her third and last marriage (1951–1957) was to singer and actor Frank Sinatra. She would later say in her autobiography that he was the love of her life. Sinatra left his wife, Nancy, for Ava and their subsequent marriage made headlines. The Gardner-Sinatra marriage was tumultuous and they divorced in 1957.  

After a lifetime of smoking, Gardner suffered from emphysema and an auto-immune disorder (which may have been lupus). She suffered two stokes in 1986, which left her partially paralyzed and bedridden. Although Gardner could afford her medical expenses, Sinatra wanted to pay for her to visit a specialist in the United States, and she allowed him to make the arrangements for a medically-staffed private plane. Her last words (to her house keeper), were reportedly, "I'm so tired," before she died of pneumonia on January 25, 1990 in London. After her death, Sinatra's daughter, Tina, found him slumped in his room, crying, and unable to speak. Gardner was not only the love of his life, but also was the inspiration for one of his most personal songs, "I'm a Fool to Want You." Garner was buried at the Sunset Memorial Park in Smithfield, North Carolina, next to her brothers and parents.

Film Review of "Moneyball"

Moneyball

Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Lead Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill)

Baseball is the quintessential national game, with its own mystique and built-in traditions, but it is also a cut-throat business where change and innovation are important. Moneyball brings these elements together. In one of his better performances, Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, a failed former Major Leaguer, and current general manager of the Oakland Athletics. His best players are constantly being poached by wealthier clubs, earning the A's the reputation of being "organ donors to the rich.” During a moment of insight and despair after losing three major stars, Billy is intrigued by a quietly spoken, overweight, bespectacled adviser working for the Cleveland Indians.

The man is Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), an economist from Yale who's never played the game but keeps whispering obscure advice to the Cleveland pros. He believes a winning team isn't necessarily made up of individual stars but of a combination of certain talents who together add up to runs. Such people are much cheaper to buy, probably easier to handle and certainly simpler to unload. Billy's immediately hooked on the idea that he might use Brand's complex formula to transform the A's into a truly winning combination rather than relying on luck, intuition and conventional wisdom. He hires Brand and sets about selling the idea to Oakland's old-fashioned scouts and coaches.  

The movie is a brilliant study of group dynamics. Billy doggedly pursues his new obsession, attracting ridicule and probable disaster. He wins in the end, though not in a triumphant manner, and not permanently, but his life is changed. Moneyball has few scenes set on the playing field, none of them sustained. It's a film about baseball that demands little knowledge of the game. The moral of the film is fairly simple: Everyone’s value is subjective. Players not highly regarded by one team could become incredible assets to another. Numbers geeks not appreciated by baseball in general could prove invaluable to managers looking to change the game and the system. It’s not the kind of movie everyone will find priceless but Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give good performances. Moneyball makes statistical analysis as fascinating as a pennant race and is an inspiration for underappreciated folks everywhere. 

Released through Columbia Pictures (2011)

Runtime – 2 hours 13 minutes

Director – Bennett Miller

Cast – Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Stephen Bishop, Tammy Blanchard

Watch trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4QPVo0UIzc

Review of Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris

Winner of the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Nominated for three Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay

 

Woody Allen’s, Midnight in Paris is a romantic, funny, quirky, quasi-comedy set in Paris. The film begins with a beautiful montage tribute of picture-postcard images of Paris set to a traditional jazz score. In this film, Owen Wilson takes on the role as Gil, a disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter who comes to Paris with his gorgeous fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents. Idolizing the bohemian Paris of the 1920s, Gil finds that the city has revived his dormant longing to be a serious novelist. One night, while strolling alone in the city, Gil sees a mysterious antique vehicle roll up and its champagne-swilling occupants urge him to jump in. He travels back in time with them to a party where he encounters F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Cole Porter and falls in love with Picasso's mistress, played by Marion Cotillard. Wilson plays the role exactly right: bemused and excited, while Cotillard has delicacy and charm. There are real laughs and enchanting cameos but when the action returns to the present, the movie begins to fizzle, and I have to say the final, crucial confrontation between Gil and Inez isn’t believable. But for simple pleasure, the sort of reliably stimulating pleasure Allen use to deliver in his films - sophisticated wit … Midnight in Paris does well. In the present, the film disappoints a bit but in the past, it zips along quite nicely. So perhaps it's the fantasy/ nostalgic theme of this movie, the retreat from the present day that has restored Allen to past days of brilliance. This film may not be a return to those days for Allen, but it's a vivid reminder of them. 

Release – 2011 by Sony Pictures

Run time – 1 hour 34 minutes

Written/ director – Woody Allen

Cast - Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Owen Wilson, Tom Hiddleston

Watch trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atLg2wQQxvU

Review of "The Artist"

"The Artist"

Winner of the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy; Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Jean Dujardin); Best Original Score

The film is set in the late 1920s and the story centers on George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a famous movie star who is truly on top of the world. His movies are some of the biggest in Hollywood and he is constantly surrounded by fans who heap praise upon him. One day, by pure chance, he meets a young extra named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), with whom he has an instant connection. What he doesn’t know is that his career is about to be turned upside down. He ignores warnings from producer (John Goodman) that talkies are about to become the “next big thing.” George refuses to change up his act, and watches his career sink lower and lower as Peppy rides the talkie wave and becomes a huge star. Much like actors in early films, star Jean Dujardin must over-emote in order to compensate for his inability to express himself verbally. But in doing so, he puts on a wonderful performance. A challenging role, to say the least, Dujardin never pushes himself so far that it becomes over done and we always know exactly how he feels. What’s more, the French actor looks as though he’s been ripped straight out of the era. He sells the drama, makes us laugh and is, in short, perfect as George Valentin.

The Artist presents George's life as the very kind of silent film he's trying to keep alive, allowing the audience to both re-discover the joys of silent film and fully understand George's plight. The character is so set in his ways it would actually hurt the film to hear George speak, and The Artist allows the viewer to see George as though his entire life is a silent film, which is how he would actually prefer it. This is only reinforced by the fact that the first time we see the character is on screen and through the 1927 audience’s eyes. George is so attached to his movie identity that his dog co-star is even with him in real life, performing little skits at the dinner table (the dog’s performance is actually one of the film’s greatest highlights). While the presentation and performances are terrific, The Artist with its unoriginal story line prevents it from being a truly great film. The story of the silent film actor being pushed aside to make way for talkies is not a new concept. Despite its flaws, The Artist really is a charming film. A love letter to the age of the silent film, and it recaptures the spirit of that era. The movie isn’t revolutionary but it is great entertainment. 

Release Date: 2011-11-23

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Length: 100 min
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, Penelope Ann Miller, and James Cromwell
Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius

Produced by: Thomas Langmann, Emmanuel Montamat
Watch the trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE

Randolph Scott & Freddie Bartholomew

Who was born on this date:

Actor Randolph Scott was born on January 23, 1898 in Orange County, Virginia. Scott appeared in a variety of film genres; however, his most enduring image is that of a Western hero. Out of his more than 100 film appearances more than 60 were in Westerns. Around 1927, Scott developed an interest in acting and decided to make his way to Los Angeles and seek a career in the motion picture industry. Fortunately, Scott's father had become acquainted with Howard Hughes and provided a letter of introduction for his son to present to the eccentric millionaire filmmaker. Hughes responded by getting Scott a small part in Sharp Shooters (1928). In the next few years, Scott continued working as an extra and bit player in several films, including The Virginian (1929) with Gary Cooper. 

In 1931 Scott played his first leading role in Women Men Marry and followed that up with a supporting part in, A Successful Calamity. Following that, however, Paramount cast him as the lead in Heritage of the Desert (1932), his first significant starring role and also the one that established him as a Western hero. By 1935 Scott was firmly established as a popular movie star and, thus, following the release of Rocky Mountain Mystery (1935), Paramount moved him up to a star of "A" features. Scott married twice. In 1936 he became the second husband of heiress Marion Du Pont, the daughter of William Du Pont. Reputedly the couple spent little time together and the marriage ended in divorce three years later. Prior to and between his first and second marriages Scott was romantically linked with several prominent film actresses, including Lupe Velez, Sally Blane, Claire Trevor and Dorothy Lamour. In 1944 Scott married Patricia Stillman, with whom he adopted two children. The marriage lasted until Scott's 1987 death. 

His most notable feature films include Roberta (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), The Last of the Mohicans (1936), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Jesse James (1939), Virginia City (1940), and My Favorite Wife (1940).  Following Ride the High Country (1962), Scott retired from film at the age of 64. Scott died of heart and lung ailments on March 2, 1987 in Beverly Hills, California and he is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 Who died on this date:

On January 23, 1992, child actor Freddie Bartholomew died. He was born on March 8, 1924 in Willesden, England. He was one of the most famous child actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. His best known films were David Copperfield (1935), Captains Courageous (1937) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936). Despite his great success and acclaim following David Copperfield, Bartholomew's childhood film stardom was marred by nearly constant legal battles and payouts which eventually took a huge toll on both his finances and his career. In adulthood, after World War II service, Bartholomew's film career dwindled rapidly, and he switched from performing to directing and producing in the medium of television. Suffering from emphysema, Bartholomew retired from television by the late 1980s. He died on January 23, 1992 from emphysema in Sarasota, Florida and his cremated remains were given to family with final disposition being unknown.

William Warfield & Jean Simmons

Who was born on this date:

Actor/ singer William Warfield was born on January 22, 1920 in West Helena, Arkansas. Warfield was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and appeared in two Hollywood films, including a star-making performance as Joe in MGM’s Show Boat (1951), in which he sang “Ole Man River.” His other film was an overlooked movie called "Old Explorers." By 1976, Warfield, although still making various stage and television appearances, was not singing as much as he had in the past. He served as narrator in various orchestral works, such as Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, for which he won a Grammy in 1984. Warfield died on August 26, 2002 in Chicago, Illinois and is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. 

Post script: I had the distinct honor of performing with and meeting Mr. Warfield on two occasions; in 1981 while I was a member of the Wheeling High School Wind Symphony and in 1983 while a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. On both occasions, Mr. Warfield performed “The Lincoln Portrait” and “Ole Man River.” He was a consummate professional and very gracious.

Who died on this date:

On January 22, 2010, actress Jean Simmons died. She was born on January 31, 1929 in London, England. She was discovered by Val Guest, who cast her in Give Us the Moon (1944). She then went on to appear in Great Expectations (1946) and Hamlet (1948) for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. Other film credits include Uncle Silas (1947), Black Narcissus (1947), Adam and Evelyne (1949). The Actress (1953), The Robe (1953), Young Bess (1953), Desiree (1954), The Egyptian (1954), Guys and Dolls (19555), Elmer Gantry (1960), Spartacus (1960), All the Way Home (1963), and The Happy Ending (1969), for which she received her second Oscar nomination. In 1950, she married actor Stewart Granger, with whom she appeared in several films, the couple divorced in 1960. By the 1970s Simmons turned her focus to stage and television acting. Simmons died from lung cancer on January 22, 2010 in Santa Monica, California and her cremated remains are interred at Highgate Cemetery in London.

Cecil B. DeMille, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Ann Sheridan

Who died on this date:

On January 21, 1959, director Cecil B. DeMille died. He was born on August 12, 1881 in Ashfield, Massachusetts. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies. Among his best-known films are Cleopatra, Samson and Delilah, The Greatest Show on Earth, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and The Ten Commandments, which also won best picture was his last and most successful film. DeMille began his career as an actor on the Broadway stage in 1900. DeMille also served as producer and/or director for many plays and found success in the spring of 1913 producing “Reckless Age” by Lee Wilson. That same year directed dozens of silent films, including Paramount Pictures first production, The Squaw Man (1914).  

Cecil B. DeMille was known for being an instrumental catalyst for the rising status of many struggling or unknown actor such as Richard Dix, Richard Cromwell, and Horace Hahn. DeMille displayed a loyalty to certain supporting performers, and also cast leading actors such as Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, and Charlton Heston in multiple pictures. He was not known as a particularly good director of actors, often hiring actors whom he relied on to develop their own characters and act accordingly. He had a reputation for tyrannical behavior on the set, and he despised actors who were unwilling to take physical risks. DeMille was one of the first directors in Hollywood to become a celebrity in his own right.

During on-location filming in Egypt of the Exodus sequence for 1956's The Ten Commandments, the then-75-year-old DeMille climbed a 107-foot ladder to the top of the massive Per Rameses set and suffered a near-fatal heart attack. Though DeMille completed the film, it proved to be his last, for he never fully recovered from this episode, and died on January 21, 1959 of heart failure. He is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

On January 21, 1927, child actor Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer died. He was born on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois. He is best known for appearing in the Our Gang series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters. In 1934 on a sightseeing excursion Switzer and his family visited the Hal Roach Studios. Following a public tour of the facility, 6-year-old Carlbegan an impromptu performance and Producer Hal Roach was present that day and was impressed by the performance. He signed both Switzer to appear in Our Gang. He first appeared in the 1935 Our Gang short, Beginner’s Luck and by the end of the year; Alfalfa was one of the main characters in the series. Switzer's tenure on Our Gang ended in 1940, when Carl was twelve. He continued to appear in movies in various supporting roles. In the early 1950s, Switzer moved to Kansas and lived and worked on a farm near Wichita. On January 21, 1959 in Mission Hills, California, Switzer got into a fight with an acquaintance over some money and was shot to death.

On January 21, 1967, actress Ann Sheridan died. She was born on February 21, 1915 in Denton, Texas. She made her film debut in 1934 in Search for Beauty, and played un-credited bit parts in Paramount films for the next two years. Paramount made little effort to develop Sheridan's talent, so she left, signing a contract with Warner Bros. in 1936. Her career prospects began to improve. She gained the nicknamed "The Oomph Girl," and was a popular pin-up girl during the 1940s. Her notable film credits include Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Dodge City (1939), Torrid Zone (1940), They Drive by Night (1940), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Kings Row (1942), Nora Prentiss (1947), and The Unfaithful (1947). In 1966, during filming of the TV series Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats, Sheridan became ill and died from esophageal and liver cancer. She was cremated and her ashes were stored at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles until they were permanently interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2005.

Patricia Neal, Clive Colin, Audrey Hepburn & Barbara Stanwyck

Who was born on this date:

Actress Patricia Neal was born on January 20, 1926 in Packard, Kentucky. She was best known for her film roles in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and Hud (1963), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1949, Neal made her film debut in John Loves Mary. That same year, she co-starred with Ronald Reagan in The Hasty Heart. It has been widely alleged that Neal had numerous love affairs with many of her leading male co-stars. Most notably during the filming of The Fountainhead (1949), Neal had an affair with her married co-star, Gary Cooper, whom she had met in 1947 when she was 21 and he was 46. By 1950, Cooper's wife, Veronica, had found out about the relationship and sent Neal a telegram demanding they end it. She suffered a nervous breakdown around this same time, following the end of her relationship with Cooper, and left Hollywood for New York, returning to Broadway. Her health took another turn in 1965, when she suffered three burst cerebral aneurysms during pregnancy, and was in a coma for three weeks. Neal worked sparingly in the following years. She returned to the big screen in The Subject Was Roses (1968), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Having won a Tony Award in her inaugural Broadway production (1947) and eventually becoming the last surviving winner from that first ceremony, Neal often appeared as a presenter in later years. Her original Tony was lost, so she was given a surprise replacement in 2006. Neal died at her home in Edgartown, Massachusetts on August 8, 2010 from lung cancer and was buried at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

Actor Colin Clive was born on January 20, 1900 in Saint-Malo, France and is best remembered for his portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein in two Universal Frankenstein films, Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Although Colin Clive made only three horror films, the two Frankenstein movies and Mad Love (1935), he is widely regarded as one of the essential stars of the genre. His portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein was an inspiration for scores of other mad scientist performances in films over the years. Clive was also an in-demand leading man for a number of major film actresses of the era, including Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Corinne Griffith, and Jean Arthur. He also starred in the 1934 adaptation of Jane Eyre opposite Virginia Bruce. Colin Clive suffered from severe chronic alcoholism and died from complications of tuberculosis on June 25, 1937 at the age of thirty-seven. His cenotaph is located at Chapel of the Pines Crematory, but his ashes were scattered at sea in 1978 after they spent over 40 years unclaimed in the basement of the funeral parlor where his body was brought after his death. 

Who died on this date:

On January 20, 1993, actress Audrey Hepburn died. She was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. She remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century. After appearing in several British films and starring in the 1951 Broadway play GiGi, Hepburn gained instant Hollywood stardom for playing the Academy Award winning lead role in Roman Holiday (1953). Later performing in Sabrina (1954), The Nun’s Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967), Hepburn became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. 

Although she appeared in fewer films as her life went on, Hepburn devoted much of her later life to UNICEF. Her war-time struggles inspired her passion for humanitarian work and, although Hepburn had contributed to the organization since the 1950s, she worked in some of the most profoundly disadvantaged communities of Africa, South America and Asia in the late eighties and early nineties. Upon return from Somalia to Switzerland in late September 1992, Hepburn began suffering from abdominal pains. She went to specialists and received inconclusive results, so decided to be examined while on a trip to Los Angeles. Doctors performed a laparoscopy and discovered abdominal cancer. Hepburn died in her sleep on the evening of January 20, 1993, at her home in Switzerland. After her death, Gregory Peck went on camera and tearfully recited her favorite poem, "Unending Love" by Rabindranath Tagore. She is buried at Tolochenaz Cemetery in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, a small cemetery that sits atop a hill overlooking the village.

On January 20, 1990, actress Barbara Stanwyck died. She was born on July 16, 1907 in Brroklyn, New York. She was nominated for the Academy Award four times, and won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. In 1923, a few months short of her 16th birthday, Ruby auditioned for a place in the chorus at the Strand Roof, a night club over the Strand Theatre in Times Square. A few months thereafter she obtained a job as a Ziegfeld girl in the 1922 and 1923 editions of the Ziegfeld Follies.  

Stanwyck's first film was The Locked Door (1929), followed by Mexicali Rose in 1929. Neither film was successful; nonetheless, Frank Capra chose Stanwyck for his Ladies of Leisure (1930). Numerous memorable roles followed, among them the children's nurse who saves two would be juvenile murder victims in Night Nurse (1931), the ambitious woman from "the wrong side of the tracks" in Baby Face (1933), the self-sacrificing mother in Stella Dallas (1937), the con artist who falls for her would-be victim (played by Henry Fonda) in The Lady Eve (1941), the woman who talks an infatuated insurance salesman (Fred McMurray) into killing her husband in Double Indemnity (1944), the columnist caught up in white lies and Christmas romance in Christmas in Connecticut (1945) and the doomed wife in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). 

When Stanwyck's film career declined in 1957, she moved to television. Her 1961–1962 series The Barbara Stanwyck Show was not a ratings success but earned her first Emmy Award. The 1965–1969 Western series The Big Valley on ABC made her one of the most popular actresses on television, winning her another Emmy. Years later, Stanwyck earned her third Emmy for The Thorn Birds. In 1936, while making the film His Brother's Wife, Stanwyck met and fell in love with her co-star, Robert Taylor. Following a whirlwind romance, the couple began living together. Their 1939 marriage was arranged with the help of Taylor's studio MGM, a common practice in Hollywood's golden age. Taylor reportedly had affairs during the marriage. When Stanwyck learned of Taylor's fling with Lana Turner, she filed for divorce in 1950 when a starlet made Turner's romance with Taylor public. The decree was granted on February 21, 1951. After the divorce, they acted together in Stanwyck's last feature film The Night Walker (1964). Stanwyck never remarried and collected alimony from Taylor until his death in 1969. Stanwyck was no angel she also had an affair with actor Robert Wagner, whom she met on the set of Titanic. Wagner, who was 22, and Stanwyck, who was 45 at the beginning of the affair, had a four-year romance, as described in Wagner's 2008 memoir, Pieces of My Heart. Stanwyck broke off the relationship. Stanwyck died of congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Saint John's Health Center, in Santa Monica, California on January 20, 1990. Her body was cremated, and her ashes scattered in Lone Pine, California.

Hedy Lamarr

Who died on this date:

On January 19, 2000, actress Hedy Lamarr died. She was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on November 9, 1913 in Vienna, Austria. She was an actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star for MGM. Louis B. Mayer signed the actress to a film contract in 1937. At his insistence, she changed her name Hedy Lamarr, choosing the surname in homage to a beautiful film star of the silent era, Barbara La Marr. In Hollywood, she was usually cast in glamorous and seductive roles. Her American debut was in Algiers (1938). Her notable film credits include Boom Town (1940), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), White Cargo (1942), Tortilla Flat (1942), and making 18 films from 1940 to 1949. After leaving MGM in 1945, she enjoyed her biggest success as Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille’s, Samson and Delilah. However, following her comedic turn opposite Bob Hope in My Favorite Spy (1951), her career went into decline. She appeared only sporadically in films after 1950, one of her last roles being that of Joan of Arc in The Story of Mankind (1957). The publication of her autobiography Ecstasy and Me (1967) took place about a year after accusations of shoplifting, and a year after Andy Warhol’s short film, Hedy (1966). In the ensuing years, Lamarr retreated from public life, and settled in Florida. She was married five times. She died on January 19, 2000 from natural causes in Casselberry, Florida and her ashes were scattered in the woods near Vienna, Austria.