Thank you, Moira and Mel. Glad you both enjoyed the profile.
Mel, the majority of my 'In the Spotlight' profiles are on the TCM site.
In The Spotlight Redux
In the Spotlight: EVELYN KEYES
The lovely, petite, blonde actress was born Evelyn Louise Keyes on November 20, 1916, in Port Arthur, Texas.
She was a chorus girl by age 18, and was put under contract by Cecil B. DeMille.
She wangled bit parts at Paramount (beginning with 1937's "Artists and Models"), then she landed her most notable role, that of Scarlett O'Hara's sister Suellen in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).
She enjoyed a brief period of popularity while under contract to Columbia Pictures, in a Boris Karloff thriller "Before I Hang" before making a superior B, "The Face Behind the Mask" (1941), in which, cast as a blind girl who falls in love with disfigured gangster Peter Lorre, she delivered an earnest, genuinely touching performance that won her a shot at the big time.
Keyes then landed the co-staring role to Robert Montgomery in "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and to Larry Parks in "The Jolson Story", two of the studio's biggest 1940s hits.
Unfortunately, many of Keyes' vehicles were routine, and while her performances were consistently good, they couldn't lift the films themselves out of programmer class. These included "A Thousand and One Nights" with Cornel Wilde, "The Thrill of Brazil", "Johnny O'Clock" with Dick Powell, "Enchantment" with David Niven, "The Mating of Millie" with Glenn Ford, "Mrs. Mike" which she considers her best film, "Mr. Soft Touch", and "The Killer That Stalked New York" (a good performance), before scouting around for roles outside Columbia.
"A Thousand and One Nights" (1945)]/i]
Keyes (top) with Cornel Wilde & Adele Jergens
"The Killer That Stalked New York" (1950)
Miss Keyes considers this role her best performance in "The Prowler."
Joseph Losey's "The Prowler" with Van Heflin was a good choice, but Keyes lost more ground (thanks to the likes of "Smuggler's Island" and "Iron Man" both with Jeff Chandler, "One Big Affair", "99 River Street" (good crime drama with John Payne) and "Hell's Half Acre"), finally taking a small supporting role in "The Seven Year Itch" with Marilyn Monroe before retiring.
"99 River Street" (1953)
"Hell's Half Acre" (1954)
(Although she did take small roles in "Across 110th Street", "Return to Salem's Lot" and "Wicked Stepmother" with Bette Davis). She also did some TV work, last on "Murder, She Wrote".
By all accounts, Keyes' performances offscreen were more interesting than her movie exploits. She said of her many relationships, "I was always interested in the man of the moment, and there were many such moments" (Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, etc.)
Her first husband shot himself after their divorce. She then married director Charles Vidor, leaving him after two years for director John Huston to whom she was married for four turbulent years. (the couple adopted a Mexican child, Pablo, whom Huston had discovered while on the set of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre").
In the mid 1950s she lived with producer Mike Todd, and took a cameo in his "Around the World in Eighty Days". In 1957 she wed bandleader Artie Shaw. Much of her stormy private life was chronicled in her 1977 hot autobiography, "Scarlett O'Hara's Younger Sister: My Life In and Out of Hollywood."
At age 90 (reports of Alzheimers) She last resided in Santa Barbara, California.
Miss Keyes does not have a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The lovely, petite, blonde actress was born Evelyn Louise Keyes on November 20, 1916, in Port Arthur, Texas.
She was a chorus girl by age 18, and was put under contract by Cecil B. DeMille.
She wangled bit parts at Paramount (beginning with 1937's "Artists and Models"), then she landed her most notable role, that of Scarlett O'Hara's sister Suellen in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).
She enjoyed a brief period of popularity while under contract to Columbia Pictures, in a Boris Karloff thriller "Before I Hang" before making a superior B, "The Face Behind the Mask" (1941), in which, cast as a blind girl who falls in love with disfigured gangster Peter Lorre, she delivered an earnest, genuinely touching performance that won her a shot at the big time.
Keyes then landed the co-staring role to Robert Montgomery in "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and to Larry Parks in "The Jolson Story", two of the studio's biggest 1940s hits.
Unfortunately, many of Keyes' vehicles were routine, and while her performances were consistently good, they couldn't lift the films themselves out of programmer class. These included "A Thousand and One Nights" with Cornel Wilde, "The Thrill of Brazil", "Johnny O'Clock" with Dick Powell, "Enchantment" with David Niven, "The Mating of Millie" with Glenn Ford, "Mrs. Mike" which she considers her best film, "Mr. Soft Touch", and "The Killer That Stalked New York" (a good performance), before scouting around for roles outside Columbia.
"A Thousand and One Nights" (1945)]/i]
Keyes (top) with Cornel Wilde & Adele Jergens
"The Killer That Stalked New York" (1950)
Miss Keyes considers this role her best performance in "The Prowler."
Joseph Losey's "The Prowler" with Van Heflin was a good choice, but Keyes lost more ground (thanks to the likes of "Smuggler's Island" and "Iron Man" both with Jeff Chandler, "One Big Affair", "99 River Street" (good crime drama with John Payne) and "Hell's Half Acre"), finally taking a small supporting role in "The Seven Year Itch" with Marilyn Monroe before retiring.
"99 River Street" (1953)
"Hell's Half Acre" (1954)
(Although she did take small roles in "Across 110th Street", "Return to Salem's Lot" and "Wicked Stepmother" with Bette Davis). She also did some TV work, last on "Murder, She Wrote".
By all accounts, Keyes' performances offscreen were more interesting than her movie exploits. She said of her many relationships, "I was always interested in the man of the moment, and there were many such moments" (Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, etc.)
Her first husband shot himself after their divorce. She then married director Charles Vidor, leaving him after two years for director John Huston to whom she was married for four turbulent years. (the couple adopted a Mexican child, Pablo, whom Huston had discovered while on the set of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre").
In the mid 1950s she lived with producer Mike Todd, and took a cameo in his "Around the World in Eighty Days". In 1957 she wed bandleader Artie Shaw. Much of her stormy private life was chronicled in her 1977 hot autobiography, "Scarlett O'Hara's Younger Sister: My Life In and Out of Hollywood."
At age 90 (reports of Alzheimers) She last resided in Santa Barbara, California.
Miss Keyes does not have a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In the Spotlight: RAY BOLGER
The lanky entertainer was born Raymond Wallace Bulcao in Dorchester, Massachusetts on January 10, 1904, and spent his early life in a predominantly Irish neighborhood in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
His father was a Portugese-American house-painter; his mother, Anne Wallace, an Irish-American, was a homemaker. Both parents were Roman Catholics.
Raymond was inspired by the vaudeville shows he attended when he was young to become an entertainer himself. He began his career as a dancer in vaudeville. His limber body and ability of movement won him many starring roles on Broadway in the 1930s. Eventually, his career would also encompass film, television and nightclub work.
Ray in his crowning role as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
His film career began when he signed a contract with MGM in 1936. His best-known film prior to "The Wizard of Oz" was "The Great Ziegfeld", in which he portrayed himself. His first dancing and singing role was in "Sweethearts" where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald.
Bolger's studio contract stipulated that he would play any part the studio chose; however, he was unhappy when he was cast as the Tin Man. The Scarecrow part had already been assigned to another lean and limber dancing studio contract player, Buddy Ebsen.
In time, the roles were switched and Bolger's performance in Oz was a tour de force. He displayed the full range of his physical, comedic, and dramatic talents playing the character searching for the brain that he has always had. The Scarecrow's sympathy for Dorothy Gale's plight, his cleverness and bravery in rescuing her from the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton) and his deep affection for her shone through, endearing the character — and Bolger — in the public mind forever. Whenever queried as to whether he received any residuals from telecasts of the 1939 classic, Bolger would reply: "No, just immortality. I'll settle for that."
Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Judy Garland, Ray Bolger (& Toto too)
Following Oz, Bolger moved to RKO. In 1946, he recorded a memorable children's album, "The Churkendoose", featuring the story of a misfit fowl ("part chicken, turkey, duck, and goose") who teaches kids that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it all "depends on how you look at things".
Ray Bolger in "Sunny" with Anna Neagle.
Other films included, "Rosalie", "Sunny", "Four Jacks and a Jill", "The Harvey Girls", "Look for the Silver Lining" with June Haver, "April in Paris" with Doris Day, "Babes in Toyland", "The Daydreamer", etc.
Ray with Virginia O'Brien in "The Harvey Girls"
Bolger's Broadway credits included "On Your Toes", "By Jupiter", "All American", and "Where's Charley?", for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and in which he introduced "Once in Love with Amy," the song most often connected with him. He also starred in the movie version of "Where's Charley?" in 1952.
In 1985 he and Liza Minnelli, the daughter of his Oz co-star Judy Garland, starred in "That's Dancing", a film also written by Jack Haley, Jr., the son of Tin Man actor Jack Haley. Minnelli and Haley, Jr. would have a brief marriage some years later.
Ray had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, and in late 1986, it got to the point where he had to be put into a nursing home. His wife would visit him daily at 2:15. He even celebrated his 83rd birthday the Saturday prior to his demise.
After a 57 year marriage to his beloved Gwen (no children) Bolger died in Los Angeles, California. He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, in the Mausoleum.
At the time of his death, he was the last surviving member of the main Oz cast.
The delightful gent has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The lanky entertainer was born Raymond Wallace Bulcao in Dorchester, Massachusetts on January 10, 1904, and spent his early life in a predominantly Irish neighborhood in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
His father was a Portugese-American house-painter; his mother, Anne Wallace, an Irish-American, was a homemaker. Both parents were Roman Catholics.
Raymond was inspired by the vaudeville shows he attended when he was young to become an entertainer himself. He began his career as a dancer in vaudeville. His limber body and ability of movement won him many starring roles on Broadway in the 1930s. Eventually, his career would also encompass film, television and nightclub work.
Ray in his crowning role as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
His film career began when he signed a contract with MGM in 1936. His best-known film prior to "The Wizard of Oz" was "The Great Ziegfeld", in which he portrayed himself. His first dancing and singing role was in "Sweethearts" where he did the "wooden shoes" number with red-headed soprano/actress Jeanette MacDonald.
Bolger's studio contract stipulated that he would play any part the studio chose; however, he was unhappy when he was cast as the Tin Man. The Scarecrow part had already been assigned to another lean and limber dancing studio contract player, Buddy Ebsen.
In time, the roles were switched and Bolger's performance in Oz was a tour de force. He displayed the full range of his physical, comedic, and dramatic talents playing the character searching for the brain that he has always had. The Scarecrow's sympathy for Dorothy Gale's plight, his cleverness and bravery in rescuing her from the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton) and his deep affection for her shone through, endearing the character — and Bolger — in the public mind forever. Whenever queried as to whether he received any residuals from telecasts of the 1939 classic, Bolger would reply: "No, just immortality. I'll settle for that."
Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Judy Garland, Ray Bolger (& Toto too)
Following Oz, Bolger moved to RKO. In 1946, he recorded a memorable children's album, "The Churkendoose", featuring the story of a misfit fowl ("part chicken, turkey, duck, and goose") who teaches kids that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it all "depends on how you look at things".
Ray Bolger in "Sunny" with Anna Neagle.
Other films included, "Rosalie", "Sunny", "Four Jacks and a Jill", "The Harvey Girls", "Look for the Silver Lining" with June Haver, "April in Paris" with Doris Day, "Babes in Toyland", "The Daydreamer", etc.
Ray with Virginia O'Brien in "The Harvey Girls"
Bolger's Broadway credits included "On Your Toes", "By Jupiter", "All American", and "Where's Charley?", for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and in which he introduced "Once in Love with Amy," the song most often connected with him. He also starred in the movie version of "Where's Charley?" in 1952.
Bolger also starred in several more films and had a sitcom called "Where's Raymond?" from 1953-1955 (also known as The Ray Bolger Show). He also made frequent guest appearances on television.From fan Molly Stockton on IMBd:
"I met Mr Bolger when I was an interpreter/guide at Tehran's Film Festival in Iran in 1977. He and his wife were utterly charming. I told Mr Bolger that, although much fuss was being made over his role in "The Wizard of Oz" (he confided that he was getting a bit fed up with doing his "scarecrow stance" over and over again for photographers), I had preferred his performance in "Where's Charley?" He said, "Oh, my dear, I'm so pleased. That was my favourite film."
In 1985 he and Liza Minnelli, the daughter of his Oz co-star Judy Garland, starred in "That's Dancing", a film also written by Jack Haley, Jr., the son of Tin Man actor Jack Haley. Minnelli and Haley, Jr. would have a brief marriage some years later.
Ray had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, and in late 1986, it got to the point where he had to be put into a nursing home. His wife would visit him daily at 2:15. He even celebrated his 83rd birthday the Saturday prior to his demise.
After a 57 year marriage to his beloved Gwen (no children) Bolger died in Los Angeles, California. He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, in the Mausoleum.
At the time of his death, he was the last surviving member of the main Oz cast.
The delightful gent has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
-
klondike
Thank you, Mongo, for this thumbnail portrait of a performer who was both a gentleman and a gentle man.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, Mr. Bolger kept a lovely vacation home just 3 miles down the road from my abode, 'cross the river in Walpole, NH, and it's a cherished anecdote of that town that the Sunday evening radio show that Ray hosted from NYC was dubbed Washington Square in honor of his "holiday address".
Even now, when tourists query old-timers in Walpole Village about what it's like having a rich celebrity in town (indicating that modern Olympian, Ken Burns), their eyes light right up, and they respond with some variation of:
"Who, ya mean Ray? Hey, he was just the best!"
As I've mentioned elsewhere, Mr. Bolger kept a lovely vacation home just 3 miles down the road from my abode, 'cross the river in Walpole, NH, and it's a cherished anecdote of that town that the Sunday evening radio show that Ray hosted from NYC was dubbed Washington Square in honor of his "holiday address".
Even now, when tourists query old-timers in Walpole Village about what it's like having a rich celebrity in town (indicating that modern Olympian, Ken Burns), their eyes light right up, and they respond with some variation of:
"Who, ya mean Ray? Hey, he was just the best!"
redux
Hi, Mongo. Just want to say that I enjoy your spotlight writeups very much. I just read the one about Bolger, a very likeable actor and dancer. I think he was made of rubber. Haven't seen it for a while but I still remember 'Where's Charlie' with Ray and I think her name was McClery, something like that, my memory's going fast, and the songs 'Amy' and 'Horseless carriages'.
You have a great thread there.
You have a great thread there.
In the Spotlight: JOAN LESLIE
The sweet, bubbly actress was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel on Jan 26, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan.
She performed on stage before her third birthday, and made her professional debut at nine, singing and dancing in vaudeville with her older sisters as The Three Brodels . As a child she modeled and in 1936 went to Hollywood after an MGM talent scout caught the sisters in a New York nightclub.
The Brodel Sisters (from left to right) Betty, Joan, & Mary
Attending studio school with Mickey Rooney and Deanna Durbin, Joan appeared in only one Metro production, but that was Greta Garbo's "Camille".
Billed as Joan Brodel, the youngster continued to play child roles and bits for various studios through 1940, when Warner Bros. signed her to a term contract. Her big break came when Warners cast her in a key role in a Bogart film.
Now billed as Joan Leslie, the newcomer debuted sensationally in the gangster classic "High Sierra".
For the next five years, she continued to appear in major Warner Bros. productions, often being cast with more established, and much older, leading men including Gary Cooper in "Sergeant York" and James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy", in which both actos won Oscars for their performances opposite her.
Joan Leslie in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with James Cagney.
In 1943, she became Fred Astaire's youngest dance partner, celebrating her 18th birthday on the set of "The Sky's the Limit".
Joan Leslie was featured on the cover of Life magazine for her part in "The Hard Way" with Ida Lupino. A photo caption called her "a fresh-faced girl who looks like anybody's girl-next-door." And she was, for several years, every American boy's ideal prom date, and fantasy girlfriend.
Joan in color in a movie magazine
More good movies were to follow: "Hollywood Canteen", "Thank Your Lucky Stars", and "Rhapsody in Blue" with Robert Alda.
Joan emerged from her teens with an impressive list of screen credits. Looking more beautiful than ever, the now grownup She was still invariably cast in ingenue roles. Joan was developing as an actress, though, and longed to test her wings in heavy dramatics. She had tried for, but didn't get, the role of Bessie in "The Corn is Green" with Bette Davis. She lost other good roles because of years of typecasting. To make matters worse, after the war ended, Warner Bros. began to put Joan in what were decidedly second-rate pictures: "Janie Gets Married", "Two Guys from Milwaukee", etc.
Leslie with Joan Fontaine & Mel Ferrer in "Born to Be Bad" (1950)
Her films also include, ""The Wagons Roll at Night", "Thieves Fall Out", "The Male Animal", "This Is the Army", "Cinderella Jones", "Born to Be Bad", "Hellgate", "Jubilee Trail" good western, "Hell's Outpost", etc.
In 1946, Joan Leslie sought and obtained her release from her studio commitment, arguing through her lawyer that she had been underage when the contract was signed. Ironically, in the very year she left Warners, the 21 year-old actress received the highest ranking in a "Future Star" poll of motion picture exhibitors. Yet it would be more than a year before she appeared in another movie.
Her first venture as a freelancer was an interesting dramatic piece called "Repeat Performance". Well-scripted and sporting a superb cast, the movie looked promising. The film was not a commercial success, and Joan was finding it difficult to land first-rate roles in first-rate pictures in leaner postwar Hollywood. Years later, Joan speculated that she was being blacklisted for breaking with Warners.
Joan's tv credits in the '50s included episodes of "Fireside Theatre" and "Ford Theatre". But while she continued to offer fine characterizations when called upon to play in movies, she would never again enjoy the tremendous popular success she had while under contract to a major Hollywood studio.
Married in 1950 to Dr. William Caldwell, Joan made her last movie for theatrical release in 1957 "The Revolt of Mamie Stover" with Jane Russell.
She continued to appear occasionally on television, but increasingly, her time was being devoted to raising her identical twin daughters, Patrice and Ellen. A devout Roman Catholic, Joan's creative energy found outlets in Catholic charities and dress designing.
In later years, when her daughters were grown up, Joan acted intermittently on television, but never often enough to suit her following. She did tv commercials, pilots, and in the '80s a delightful guest spot in "Murder, She Wrote" with another '40s favorite and Gary Cooper co-star, Teresa Wright.
Her husband past away in 2000 after 50 years of marriage and both daughters are now Doctors teaching at universities.
Lovely still at age 82, Joan Leslie hasn't made a movie for the big screens in 50 years. But her film legacy remains, to kindle the memories of old fans, and win a generation of new ones.
It's about time for Robert Osborne to snag her for an interview.
With Bob Hope.
Joan Leslie was a fan favorite during her tenure at Warner Bros. from 1941-6. She was especially popular with servicemen (Cpl. Green pressumably spoke for millions when he nervously uttered her name to Canteen chairperson Bette Davis in the movie "Stage Door Canteen").
Joan with Bette Davis and Roddy McDowall.
Miss Leslie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The sweet, bubbly actress was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel on Jan 26, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan.
She performed on stage before her third birthday, and made her professional debut at nine, singing and dancing in vaudeville with her older sisters as The Three Brodels . As a child she modeled and in 1936 went to Hollywood after an MGM talent scout caught the sisters in a New York nightclub.
The Brodel Sisters (from left to right) Betty, Joan, & Mary
Attending studio school with Mickey Rooney and Deanna Durbin, Joan appeared in only one Metro production, but that was Greta Garbo's "Camille".
Billed as Joan Brodel, the youngster continued to play child roles and bits for various studios through 1940, when Warner Bros. signed her to a term contract. Her big break came when Warners cast her in a key role in a Bogart film.
Now billed as Joan Leslie, the newcomer debuted sensationally in the gangster classic "High Sierra".
For the next five years, she continued to appear in major Warner Bros. productions, often being cast with more established, and much older, leading men including Gary Cooper in "Sergeant York" and James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy", in which both actos won Oscars for their performances opposite her.
Joan Leslie in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with James Cagney.
In 1943, she became Fred Astaire's youngest dance partner, celebrating her 18th birthday on the set of "The Sky's the Limit".
Joan Leslie was featured on the cover of Life magazine for her part in "The Hard Way" with Ida Lupino. A photo caption called her "a fresh-faced girl who looks like anybody's girl-next-door." And she was, for several years, every American boy's ideal prom date, and fantasy girlfriend.
Joan in color in a movie magazine
More good movies were to follow: "Hollywood Canteen", "Thank Your Lucky Stars", and "Rhapsody in Blue" with Robert Alda.
Joan emerged from her teens with an impressive list of screen credits. Looking more beautiful than ever, the now grownup She was still invariably cast in ingenue roles. Joan was developing as an actress, though, and longed to test her wings in heavy dramatics. She had tried for, but didn't get, the role of Bessie in "The Corn is Green" with Bette Davis. She lost other good roles because of years of typecasting. To make matters worse, after the war ended, Warner Bros. began to put Joan in what were decidedly second-rate pictures: "Janie Gets Married", "Two Guys from Milwaukee", etc.
Leslie with Joan Fontaine & Mel Ferrer in "Born to Be Bad" (1950)
Her films also include, ""The Wagons Roll at Night", "Thieves Fall Out", "The Male Animal", "This Is the Army", "Cinderella Jones", "Born to Be Bad", "Hellgate", "Jubilee Trail" good western, "Hell's Outpost", etc.
In 1946, Joan Leslie sought and obtained her release from her studio commitment, arguing through her lawyer that she had been underage when the contract was signed. Ironically, in the very year she left Warners, the 21 year-old actress received the highest ranking in a "Future Star" poll of motion picture exhibitors. Yet it would be more than a year before she appeared in another movie.
Her first venture as a freelancer was an interesting dramatic piece called "Repeat Performance". Well-scripted and sporting a superb cast, the movie looked promising. The film was not a commercial success, and Joan was finding it difficult to land first-rate roles in first-rate pictures in leaner postwar Hollywood. Years later, Joan speculated that she was being blacklisted for breaking with Warners.
Joan's tv credits in the '50s included episodes of "Fireside Theatre" and "Ford Theatre". But while she continued to offer fine characterizations when called upon to play in movies, she would never again enjoy the tremendous popular success she had while under contract to a major Hollywood studio.
Married in 1950 to Dr. William Caldwell, Joan made her last movie for theatrical release in 1957 "The Revolt of Mamie Stover" with Jane Russell.
She continued to appear occasionally on television, but increasingly, her time was being devoted to raising her identical twin daughters, Patrice and Ellen. A devout Roman Catholic, Joan's creative energy found outlets in Catholic charities and dress designing.
In later years, when her daughters were grown up, Joan acted intermittently on television, but never often enough to suit her following. She did tv commercials, pilots, and in the '80s a delightful guest spot in "Murder, She Wrote" with another '40s favorite and Gary Cooper co-star, Teresa Wright.
Her husband past away in 2000 after 50 years of marriage and both daughters are now Doctors teaching at universities.
Lovely still at age 82, Joan Leslie hasn't made a movie for the big screens in 50 years. But her film legacy remains, to kindle the memories of old fans, and win a generation of new ones.
It's about time for Robert Osborne to snag her for an interview.
With Bob Hope.
Joan Leslie was a fan favorite during her tenure at Warner Bros. from 1941-6. She was especially popular with servicemen (Cpl. Green pressumably spoke for millions when he nervously uttered her name to Canteen chairperson Bette Davis in the movie "Stage Door Canteen").
Joan with Bette Davis and Roddy McDowall.
Miss Leslie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In the Spotlight: JOHNNY SHEFFIELD
The child actor who would become Boy, son of Tarzan and Bomba was born Jon Matthew Sheffield Cassan on April 11, 1931 in Pasadena, California, the second child of actor Reginald Sheffield and Louise Van Loon. His older sister was Mary Alice and his younger brother was actor Billy Sheffield.
His father was himself a former juvenile performer when he came to the United States from his native England. His mother, a native of New York, was a Vassar College graduate with a liberal arts education who loved books and lectured widely.
Johnny was said to have been sickly and frail as a small child, but his father saw to it that he have a daily regimen of exercise. Not only did his health improve, he became strong and physically fit. His father also encouraged him in an acting career.
In 1938, Sheffield became a child star when he was cast in the juvenile lead of a West Coast production of the highly successful Broadway play "On Borrowed Time". Sheffield played the role of Pud, a long role for a child. He later went to New York as a replacement and performed the role on Broadway.
The following year, his father read an article in the Hollywood Reporter that asked, "Have you a Tarzan Jr. in your backyard?" He believed he did and set up an interview.
MGM was searching for a suitable youngster to play the adopted son of Tarzan in its next jungle movie with stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. Sheffield was taken to an audition and was extremely fortunate, as Weissmuller personally chose him out of all the other juvenile actors to play the part of "Boy" in "Tarzan Finds a Son" (1939). Tarzan and Jane had to adopt, according to the Legion of Decency, because they weren't married.
Johnny with Maureen O'Sullivan & Johnny Weissmuller in "Tarzan Finds a Son"
In that same year, Sheffield appeared in the Busby Berkley movie musical "Babes in Arms" with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, classmates of his at the studio school.
Johnny Sheffield (left) in the movie "Little Orvie" (1940)
He appeared with many other performers over the years, including Jeanette MacDonald, Pat O'Brien, Cesar Romero, Ronald Reagan and Beverly Garland.
Sheffield played Boy in three Tarzan movies at MGM, "Tarzan Finds a Son", "Tarzan's New York Adventure", and in another five after the star, Weissmuller, and production of the movie series moved to RKO, "Tarzan Triumphs", "Tarzan's Desert Mystery", "Tarzan and the Amazons", "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman", and "Tarzan and the Huntress".
Maureen O'Sullivan, Johnny Weissmuller, Cheeta, & Johnny Sheffield in "Tarzan's New York Adventure" (1942)
Johnny Sheffield as Boy in his final Tarzan film "Tarzan and the Huntress" (1947) with Johnny Weissmuller, and Brenda Joyce as Jane.
After he outgrew the role of Boy, the teenage Sheffield went on to star in his own jungle movie series. In 1949, he made "Bomba the Jungle Boy" with co-star Peggy Ann Garner. In all, he appeared as Bomba twelve times.
Sheffield as "Bomba the Jungle Boy" with Peggy Ann Garner.
Sheffield in "Bomba and the Jungle Girl" with Karen Sharpe.
Sheffield appeared in his last movie, as Bomba, in 1955. He then made a pilot for a television series, "Bantu the Zebra Boy", which was created, produced and directed by his father, Reginald Sheffield. Although the production values were high compared to other TV jungle shows of the day, a sponsor was not found and the show was never produced as a weekly series.
Sheffield decided to leave the industry and enrolled in college to further his education. He lived and worked for a time in Arizona.
He married a woman named Patricia in 1959 in Yuma, Arizona. He and Patty have three children: Patrick, Stewart and Regina.
After leaving show business, Sheffield completed a business degree at UCLA. Turning his attention to other fields, he involved himself variously in farming, real estate and construction. For a time, he was a representative for the Santa Monica Seafood Company importing lobsters from Baja California in Mexico. He has also written articles of his movie reminiscences and sold copies of the TV pilot "Bantu, the Zebra Boy" on video.
Recollections of Johnny Weissmuller:
"The point is that Johnny Weissmuller was happy, buoyant, generous, playful, unassuming, he loved people and sports, and most of all he had a positive winning attitude ticking away in his inner self that made him a champion and that clock never lost a beat no matter what was going on around him. By working, playing and being with Johnny Weissmuller I was able to see and understand that and start a little clock of my own ticking away in me.It was an opportunity of a lifetime. He was Tarzan, he was my coach, and most important, Big John was my friend. Wherever I go, he goes with me!"
Johnny Sheffield still active today at conventions.
At age 76 Johnny Sheffield is retired and lives in Southern California.
The child actor who would become Boy, son of Tarzan and Bomba was born Jon Matthew Sheffield Cassan on April 11, 1931 in Pasadena, California, the second child of actor Reginald Sheffield and Louise Van Loon. His older sister was Mary Alice and his younger brother was actor Billy Sheffield.
His father was himself a former juvenile performer when he came to the United States from his native England. His mother, a native of New York, was a Vassar College graduate with a liberal arts education who loved books and lectured widely.
Johnny was said to have been sickly and frail as a small child, but his father saw to it that he have a daily regimen of exercise. Not only did his health improve, he became strong and physically fit. His father also encouraged him in an acting career.
In 1938, Sheffield became a child star when he was cast in the juvenile lead of a West Coast production of the highly successful Broadway play "On Borrowed Time". Sheffield played the role of Pud, a long role for a child. He later went to New York as a replacement and performed the role on Broadway.
The following year, his father read an article in the Hollywood Reporter that asked, "Have you a Tarzan Jr. in your backyard?" He believed he did and set up an interview.
MGM was searching for a suitable youngster to play the adopted son of Tarzan in its next jungle movie with stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. Sheffield was taken to an audition and was extremely fortunate, as Weissmuller personally chose him out of all the other juvenile actors to play the part of "Boy" in "Tarzan Finds a Son" (1939). Tarzan and Jane had to adopt, according to the Legion of Decency, because they weren't married.
Johnny with Maureen O'Sullivan & Johnny Weissmuller in "Tarzan Finds a Son"
In that same year, Sheffield appeared in the Busby Berkley movie musical "Babes in Arms" with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, classmates of his at the studio school.
Johnny Sheffield (left) in the movie "Little Orvie" (1940)
He appeared with many other performers over the years, including Jeanette MacDonald, Pat O'Brien, Cesar Romero, Ronald Reagan and Beverly Garland.
Sheffield played Boy in three Tarzan movies at MGM, "Tarzan Finds a Son", "Tarzan's New York Adventure", and in another five after the star, Weissmuller, and production of the movie series moved to RKO, "Tarzan Triumphs", "Tarzan's Desert Mystery", "Tarzan and the Amazons", "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman", and "Tarzan and the Huntress".
Maureen O'Sullivan, Johnny Weissmuller, Cheeta, & Johnny Sheffield in "Tarzan's New York Adventure" (1942)
Johnny Sheffield as Boy in his final Tarzan film "Tarzan and the Huntress" (1947) with Johnny Weissmuller, and Brenda Joyce as Jane.
After he outgrew the role of Boy, the teenage Sheffield went on to star in his own jungle movie series. In 1949, he made "Bomba the Jungle Boy" with co-star Peggy Ann Garner. In all, he appeared as Bomba twelve times.
Sheffield as "Bomba the Jungle Boy" with Peggy Ann Garner.
Sheffield in "Bomba and the Jungle Girl" with Karen Sharpe.
Sheffield appeared in his last movie, as Bomba, in 1955. He then made a pilot for a television series, "Bantu the Zebra Boy", which was created, produced and directed by his father, Reginald Sheffield. Although the production values were high compared to other TV jungle shows of the day, a sponsor was not found and the show was never produced as a weekly series.
Sheffield decided to leave the industry and enrolled in college to further his education. He lived and worked for a time in Arizona.
He married a woman named Patricia in 1959 in Yuma, Arizona. He and Patty have three children: Patrick, Stewart and Regina.
After leaving show business, Sheffield completed a business degree at UCLA. Turning his attention to other fields, he involved himself variously in farming, real estate and construction. For a time, he was a representative for the Santa Monica Seafood Company importing lobsters from Baja California in Mexico. He has also written articles of his movie reminiscences and sold copies of the TV pilot "Bantu, the Zebra Boy" on video.
Recollections of Johnny Weissmuller:
"The point is that Johnny Weissmuller was happy, buoyant, generous, playful, unassuming, he loved people and sports, and most of all he had a positive winning attitude ticking away in his inner self that made him a champion and that clock never lost a beat no matter what was going on around him. By working, playing and being with Johnny Weissmuller I was able to see and understand that and start a little clock of my own ticking away in me.It was an opportunity of a lifetime. He was Tarzan, he was my coach, and most important, Big John was my friend. Wherever I go, he goes with me!"
Johnny Sheffield still active today at conventions.
At age 76 Johnny Sheffield is retired and lives in Southern California.
Last edited by mongoII on November 16th, 2007, 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joseph Goodheart
In the Spotlight: BUTTERFLY McQUEEN
Born Thelma McQueen on January 7, 1911 in Tampa, Florida, the only child of a stevedore and a domestic worker.
Although she was raised a Christian, she began to question the value of organized religion as a child. She gave up her study of nursing to become an actress and dancer in New York and achieved some measure of success.
She took her stage name from the "Butterfly Dance" after performing it in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". She performed with the dance troupes of Katherine Dunham and Janet Collins before making her professional debut in George Abbott's "Brown Sugar".
She auditioned for David Selznick's "Gone With The Wind", but was initially rejected for the role of Prissy as too old (at age 28), too heavy and too dignified. Yet as the whiny, incompetent house slave, would become her most identifiable role, uttering the famous words: "I don't know nothin''bout birthin' babies!"
She also played an uncredited bit part as a sales assistant in "The Women", filmed after "Gone with the Wind" but released before it.
Around this time McQueen also modeled for the Mrs. Butterworth syrup bottle. She also played Butterfly, Mary Livingstone's maid in the Jack Benny radio program, for a time during World War II. But by 1947 she had grown tired of the ethnic stereotypes she was required to play and ended her film career.
Other film roles included, "Cabin in the Sky" as Lily, "I Dood It" with Red Skelton, "Flame of Barbary Coast" with John Wayne, "Mildred Pierce" as Lottie, "Duel in the Sun" as Vashti, etc.
McQueen left the screen in 1950, working variously as a real-life maid, a waitress, a receptionist, a dance instructor, and a taxi dispatcher, with only occasional acting jobs including TVs "Beulah" with Hattie McDaniel.
Her acting roles after this were very few, and she devoted herself to other pursuits including study, and received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1975. In 1979 McQueen won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as Aunt Thelma, a fairy godmother in the ABC After school special, "Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid". She had one more role of some substance in the 1986 film "The Mosquito Coast" with Harrison Ford.
McQueen lived in New York in the summer months and lived in Augusta, Georgia in the winter months. She liked to ride a bicycle with training wheels around the neighborhood, was a health food advocate and usually lunched at the Belle Terrace Senior Center, where she played and sang from an impressive repertoire of classical music, jazz, and show tunes.
She died at age 84 in Augusta, Georgia on December 22, 1995 as a result of burns received when a kerosene heater she was attempting to light malfunctioned and burst into flames. She ran from her house during the fire, engulfed by flames, suffering second- and third-degree burns over 70% of her body. She was conscious when firefighters arrived and told them how her clothes had caught fire.
Neighbors interviewed after her death said she was known just as "Thelma" by many who did not realize her identity, and as "Momma Mac" to friends.
A lifelong atheist, she donated her body to medical science and remembered the Freedom From Religion Foundation in her will. A cat-lover, Ms. McQueen also remembered the Humane Society, among other groups, and deeded property to renters. There is no record of a marriage.
Quoted:
“I didn’t mind playing a maid the first time, because I thought that was how you got into the business. But after I did the same thing over and over, I resented it. I didn’t mind being funny, but I didn’t like being stupid.”
Born Thelma McQueen on January 7, 1911 in Tampa, Florida, the only child of a stevedore and a domestic worker.
Although she was raised a Christian, she began to question the value of organized religion as a child. She gave up her study of nursing to become an actress and dancer in New York and achieved some measure of success.
She took her stage name from the "Butterfly Dance" after performing it in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". She performed with the dance troupes of Katherine Dunham and Janet Collins before making her professional debut in George Abbott's "Brown Sugar".
She auditioned for David Selznick's "Gone With The Wind", but was initially rejected for the role of Prissy as too old (at age 28), too heavy and too dignified. Yet as the whiny, incompetent house slave, would become her most identifiable role, uttering the famous words: "I don't know nothin''bout birthin' babies!"
She also played an uncredited bit part as a sales assistant in "The Women", filmed after "Gone with the Wind" but released before it.
Around this time McQueen also modeled for the Mrs. Butterworth syrup bottle. She also played Butterfly, Mary Livingstone's maid in the Jack Benny radio program, for a time during World War II. But by 1947 she had grown tired of the ethnic stereotypes she was required to play and ended her film career.
Other film roles included, "Cabin in the Sky" as Lily, "I Dood It" with Red Skelton, "Flame of Barbary Coast" with John Wayne, "Mildred Pierce" as Lottie, "Duel in the Sun" as Vashti, etc.
McQueen left the screen in 1950, working variously as a real-life maid, a waitress, a receptionist, a dance instructor, and a taxi dispatcher, with only occasional acting jobs including TVs "Beulah" with Hattie McDaniel.
Her acting roles after this were very few, and she devoted herself to other pursuits including study, and received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1975. In 1979 McQueen won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as Aunt Thelma, a fairy godmother in the ABC After school special, "Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid". She had one more role of some substance in the 1986 film "The Mosquito Coast" with Harrison Ford.
McQueen lived in New York in the summer months and lived in Augusta, Georgia in the winter months. She liked to ride a bicycle with training wheels around the neighborhood, was a health food advocate and usually lunched at the Belle Terrace Senior Center, where she played and sang from an impressive repertoire of classical music, jazz, and show tunes.
She died at age 84 in Augusta, Georgia on December 22, 1995 as a result of burns received when a kerosene heater she was attempting to light malfunctioned and burst into flames. She ran from her house during the fire, engulfed by flames, suffering second- and third-degree burns over 70% of her body. She was conscious when firefighters arrived and told them how her clothes had caught fire.
Neighbors interviewed after her death said she was known just as "Thelma" by many who did not realize her identity, and as "Momma Mac" to friends.
A lifelong atheist, she donated her body to medical science and remembered the Freedom From Religion Foundation in her will. A cat-lover, Ms. McQueen also remembered the Humane Society, among other groups, and deeded property to renters. There is no record of a marriage.
Quoted:
“I didn’t mind playing a maid the first time, because I thought that was how you got into the business. But after I did the same thing over and over, I resented it. I didn’t mind being funny, but I didn’t like being stupid.”
Last edited by mongoII on November 16th, 2007, 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jdb1
I remember McQueen appearing on the Mike Douglas show and proudly showing off her university registration card. I think it was from City College in Manhattan, which is part of the City University system, and which was, at that time, a top-tier public college. Then she sang "Tico, Tico" in Spanish (or Portuguese, I don't know which is the original language of the song). She was a good guest.
I remember her voice from the "Beulah" TV show; I don't really remember the actual show itself. I think her character's name was Oriole.
I remember her voice from the "Beulah" TV show; I don't really remember the actual show itself. I think her character's name was Oriole.
Mongo:
With all your old books and things you've mentioned in the past, do you have anything on that adorable child who played little Fronzie in the Five Little Peppers? I actually did some digging this time for myself, but couldn't find anything at all on her. The only post on the imdB forum was a poster asking if anyone knew about her. Her name was Dorothy Ann Seese, and she did have some parts in other movies. She was so pretty and natural. I had a wonderful time all by myself yesterday afternoon watching the movies TCM showed. Thank you in advance.
Anne
With all your old books and things you've mentioned in the past, do you have anything on that adorable child who played little Fronzie in the Five Little Peppers? I actually did some digging this time for myself, but couldn't find anything at all on her. The only post on the imdB forum was a poster asking if anyone knew about her. Her name was Dorothy Ann Seese, and she did have some parts in other movies. She was so pretty and natural. I had a wonderful time all by myself yesterday afternoon watching the movies TCM showed. Thank you in advance.
Anne
Anne
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Judith, thanks for the additional info regarding Butterfly McQueen. She certainly was versatile and it's too bad that she wasn't allowed the chance to show off her stuff in the 1940s.
By the way, after McQueen as Oriole left the "Beulah" show, Ruby Dandridge (Dorothy's mother) took over her role.
Anne, I also came up empty regarding child actress Dorothy Ann Seese.
However I did come across a thread titled Edith Fellows, who played one of the Peppers. When I entered there was a small picture of an attractive blonde woman (probably in her 70s) named Dorothy Ann Seese. There was no background info on her although it appears she in the head of a conglomerate of a varity of products. Hmmm.
By the way, after McQueen as Oriole left the "Beulah" show, Ruby Dandridge (Dorothy's mother) took over her role.
Anne, I also came up empty regarding child actress Dorothy Ann Seese.
However I did come across a thread titled Edith Fellows, who played one of the Peppers. When I entered there was a small picture of an attractive blonde woman (probably in her 70s) named Dorothy Ann Seese. There was no background info on her although it appears she in the head of a conglomerate of a varity of products. Hmmm.
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moira finnie
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Hi Mongo & Anne,
A Google search for Dorothy Anne Seese resulted in several online articles that the lady has written, which you can see here. How refreshing to see a child actress who has made such a strong adult identity for herself! In a thumbnail bio on one of her most frequented sites, the following info was listed:
"Dorothy Anne Seese (friends call her "Dottie") lives in Sun City, Arizona. She was born in Southern California and became a child actress for Columbia Pictures at the age of three, and has been working at something ever since. When she was at UCLA in the mid-50's, she majored in political science and worked on the UCLA Daily Bruin.
Dottie is a Christian conservative who is striving through her writing to help this nation go back to the constitutional and moral foundations upon which this nation was founded."
A Google search for Dorothy Anne Seese resulted in several online articles that the lady has written, which you can see here. How refreshing to see a child actress who has made such a strong adult identity for herself! In a thumbnail bio on one of her most frequented sites, the following info was listed:
"Dorothy Anne Seese (friends call her "Dottie") lives in Sun City, Arizona. She was born in Southern California and became a child actress for Columbia Pictures at the age of three, and has been working at something ever since. When she was at UCLA in the mid-50's, she majored in political science and worked on the UCLA Daily Bruin.
Dottie is a Christian conservative who is striving through her writing to help this nation go back to the constitutional and moral foundations upon which this nation was founded."
Moira, thanks for the info. Since the child star used the name Dorothy Ann Seese I bypassed the name of the Christian conservative due to the spelling of her name Dorothy 'Anne' Seese (she added the 'e').
Of the many stars that I have researched there were some people in different fields who have the exact same names.
Of the many stars that I have researched there were some people in different fields who have the exact same names.
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Dear Mongo,
Just a side bar to your Evelyn Keyes entry: Miss Keyes does have a small corner of the Museum of the Gulf Coast, which is located in Port Arthur, Texas, dedicated to her memory. A few personal items can be located in a display case at the museum. (The last time I visited was almost two years ago.)
Thanks for your great entries, Mongo!
Just a side bar to your Evelyn Keyes entry: Miss Keyes does have a small corner of the Museum of the Gulf Coast, which is located in Port Arthur, Texas, dedicated to her memory. A few personal items can be located in a display case at the museum. (The last time I visited was almost two years ago.)
Thanks for your great entries, Mongo!
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Thelma Ritter: Hollywood's Favorite New Yorker, University Press of Mississippi-2023
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