The Silver Screen Oasis

FEBRUARY 8th. BIRTHDAYS


NICK NOLTE is 69 today


JACK LARSON is 82 today


JAMES DEAN (1931 - 1955)


ALEJANDRO REY (1930 - 1987)


JACK LEMMON (1925 - 2001)


AUDREY MEADOWS (1922 - 1996)


LANA TURNER (1921 - 1995)


BETTY FIELD (1913 - 1973)


STEFFI DUNA (1910 - 1992)


MYRON McCORMICK (1908 - 1962)


RAY MIDDLETON (1907 - 1984)


LYLE TALBOT (1902 - 1996)


EDITH EVANS (1888 - 1976)


CHARLIE RUGGLES (1886 - 1970)


BURT MUSTIN (1884 - 1977)

mongoII wrote:Judith, I for one recall comic London Lee. I've seen him often on The Ed Sullivan Show when I was a kid.
And strangely enough I liked Keefe Brasselle (resembled Montgomery Clift). Funny he appeared in "A Place in the Sun" as Clift's cousin and it was noted in the film that they looked alike.
He was also good in two films Ida Lupino directed, "Not Wanted" and "Never Fear".
He paired well with Marjorie Main in "A Letter from a Soldier" an excerpt from the movie "It's a Big Country".
I would like to see "The Eddie Cantor Story" once again.

Actually, I kind of liked Brasselle, too, but I thought he wasn't anywhere near the performing powerhouse he seemed to think he was. I remember a summer replacement show (remember those?) he did on CBS. I was quite young then, but I recall being struck by how hard he seemed to be working, to such little result. Sonny Bono never sweated so much on stage, and I think Braselle sang better than Sonny -- but not by much. At least Sonny gave the appearance of enjoying himself. Oh -- and I always confused Brasselle on the screen with Robert Evans.

London Lee -- we could all do without him. He was like the boy at a bar mitzvah who tried to steal the limelight from the bar mitzvah boy by acting goofy and telling jokes that he thought were funny, though no one else did. Funny as a hernia was London Lee. And that name -- he was about as London a Lee as Joan is a Rivers. Does anyone remember the Dick Van Dyke Show episode called "Big Max Calvada?" It deals with a scary gangster (played by Sheldon Leonard) who pays to have his nephew put on the Alan Brady Show, and insists that Rob and his team write jokes to make the kid seem funny, which he most definitely is not. The nephew character looked, talked, and was a bundle of nervous energy just like London Lee, who supposedly was backed by his rich father.

Hey Sean Connery, that's not a football! It's Brigitte Bardot!

"Well then, I apologizhe fahr kickin' her 'round . . sort of . . "

Yup, it's Alfred Hitchcock catching some snow with the kiddies

I wonder, did anyone else think the picture of Lucy and Van Johnson was weird? He's glaring at her, and she almost has bared teeth. Wonder what was going on?

FEBRUARY 9th. BIRTHDAYS


MIA FARROW is 65 today


JOE PESCI is 67 today


KATHRYN GRAYSON is 88 today


GYPSY ROSE LEE (1911 - 1970)


CARMEN MIRANDA (1909 -1955)


HEATHER ANGEL (1909 - 1986)


BRIAN DONLEVY (1901 - 1972)


PEGGY WOOD (1892 - 1978)


RONALD COLMAN (1891 - 1958)

Is that you, Gypsy? I didn't recognize you with your earrings on. - Oscar Levant

Gypsy Rose Lee & Brian Donlevy: both could be a real "handful" on the set!

Shirley Temple and Ginger Rogers at the 1984 Academy Awards

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Lucy and Van look like they're discussing something very seriously, and she is slightly frightened by whatever Van is saying.

Shirley Temple never lost that childlike quality about her face. Many adults keep the facial resemblance with a more mature sculpture, but Shirley still has that sweet little angel look.

Director Robert Siodmak went on to direct some superior films

I have another cool photo of Siodmak. I've just been waiting for someone to bring him up. Hope you don't mind.

Tuesday, TCM broadcast one of my favorite 'dialog' films, BACHELOR & THE BOBBY SOXER, and that Shirley Temple photo reminds me that she could probably STILL exasperate Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Ray Collins and Rudy Vallee. And Ginger - boy, I wish that hair-style was never available. I'd much rather see her in a straighter cut - she has a face that absolutely needed no distractions like that lion-mane-in-hurricane offered.

Another note on Siodmak... his brother, Curt, is featured in the latest release of 1941's THE WOLF MAN, as its director and primary writer. He's given credit for authoring the Wolf Man's legacy. And all pretty much in his childhood backyard!

I hope the two brothers got along. I'm still sniffling over the Fontaine-DeHavilland squabbles. My sister and I get along so well. True, there's my whip, the electrified bars for the Gorgo-like exhibit - but that doesn't mean I don't really love for her. Deep down. (Yeah well, 25-feet down.) And especially at $2.50 a ticket.

I don't mind at all, Wendy. It's a nice image of the director.

Ollie, interesting stuff.