ASK ALEXA!

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Sue Sue Applegate
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ASK ALEXA!

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

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Here is the thread where we can post questions to our friend from TCM, Senior Researcher Alexa Foreman. After her wonderfully successful visit here this weekend, Alexa has kindly consented to take questions from our members and answer them when her busy schedule permits.

Thank you, Alexa Foreman!
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JackFavell
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by JackFavell »

I can't believe I missed her! I thought it was next week. Thanks to Ms. Foreman for coming back to visit and answer questions! :D :D
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by JackFavell »

OK. I've read through the Alexa Foreman thread now, and can pose a question or two without repeating something someone else asked.

Alexa, first of all, thank you so much for your friendly presence here at the SSO! I love the way you write, you have a lively, fun style.

My real name is Wendy. You spoke about having your Judy Garland person check on the woman in blue for knitwit. Was this John Fricke? I knew him growing up, he's a friend of my family, and we used to love to hear him sing. Has he ever entertained the folks at TCM with his wonderful singing voice?

If your Judy resource is not John, then do you have a staff? How can I join it? (Just kidding! but really, it would be a dream job!) :D

I have always wanted to see a day, week, or month on TCM devoted to the archival interviews you folks have. I dream of being able to watch all those interviews at some point, without being cut off because it's the end of the interstitial. Is there any chance of screening those interviews? Perhaps you could be a guest on TCM yourself, and present some of them? I would dearly love to see something like this happen someday.

Do you have any supporting player stories that you'd like to tell? My favorite thing about classic films is seeing those wonderful character actors again and again. They feel like family to me.

I'm a huge Laraine Day fan, btw. How did Laraine react to George Sanders hand up her skirt? Did she think it was funny? Or find it outrageously off-putting? Was she as warm and funny and nice in real life as she is on screen?

I'm sorry to ask so many questions. I know your time is limited here, so if you can't answer them all, that's fine. I just appreciate the chance to talk to you.
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Mrs. Osborne
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

Wendy-

Thanks so much for writing me.
John WAS one of my go to's on the Judy question and he did not know. He is one of the sweetest guys ever and always generous with his info. Just a great guy. he is leaving Saturday to go to LA to emcee THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Laraine Day was quite upset by Sanders - thought he was awful.

What else? archival interviews- I think we will see those on the TCM website one day. I agree it would be great to air them - there are so many wonderful stories (although you would hear my Southern accent asking the questions sometimes). and we have lost most of those great people!!!

we did a character actor festival one year and Robert showed stills so that viewers could identify those great actors. We mention them on air whenever we can.

I think that is all- to EVERYONE who wrote me: I should have answers for you during the week about programming and movies that you inquire about.
Some one asked me about the Cromwell movie VILLAGE TALE (1935) and it is indeed tied up legally. (((

thanks all !
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JackFavell
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by JackFavell »

Thanks so much for your prompt responses! I wasn't expecting an answer today but am so glad you were able to pop in. I look forward to more of your posts. :D
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Mrs. Osborne
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

Hello All who were kind enough to write to me over the weekend:

I went through the COMPLETE list of titles that you asked about and as with Letty Lyton, the titles you suspected were ABEND still are. :( That includes the 2 RKO titles asked about.

All of the titles were either Universal, Fox, Paramount or United Artists which means we have to license them to air them. I gave programming "our" requests so we shall see.

Masha-

A list of all of the movies aired on TCM for the last 19 plus years? It is somewhere in cyberspace on Turner computers but I don't have access to it. I wonder if there is a TCM viewer out there who has kept track. The TCM Now Playing guides from the beginning might help, but we change programming when there is a tribute to a deceased star or director so they won't be accurate.

Thanks everyone.
I will be out of the office all next week on a TCM shoot so please be patient.
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by Professional Tourist »

Masha wrote:
Mrs. Osborne wrote: I will be out of the office all next week on a TCM shoot so please be patient.
Why do I have now in my mind the image of staffers with shotguns standing in a line and each time a person shouts: "Pull" a reel of the movie: Ishtar flies out over your heads and you take it in turn trying to blast it in mid-air?
Well, if it's skeet shooting you like, this little video might be a pleasant diversion. They don't use reels of "Ishtar," but there's plenty of pull! :P :D

[youtube][/youtube]
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Well, I've never seen that Aggie video, PT. Quite interesting how she shoots and talks, then shoots and talks some more. Lee looks like he's having trouble deciding when to jump in.

Thanks for stopping by with more responses, Alexa!
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by sandykaypax »

Hi Alexa,

Since TCM has been able to show more Fox films lately, I wondered if there were any plans to show Forever Amber starring Linda Darnell? I loved the book and have only seen the film once, a long time ago.
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by moira finnie »

After you return and have time, Alexa, could you please tell us if you interviewed Virginia Grey extensively for the TCM Archive?
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If so, did she talk about her silent appearance as a youngster in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927)? What did she have to say about the many directors she worked with such as Douglas Sirk, Anthony Mann, Victor Fleming or Budd Boetticher? Based on the interstitial about The Women (1939), Ms. Grey was well aware of the studio politics at MGM. Did she have any further comments about her long tenure at the studio, where L.B. Mayer reportedly said that Grey "had everything [to be a star] but luck?"

Was there anything said about Clark Gable?

Did The Rose Tattoo (1955) and the behind-the-scenes editing that reportedly left her exceptional work in her role in shreds still affect her?

Thanks in advance for any insight you might offer.
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by JackFavell »

I'd like to thank you too, in advance, and to Moira for posting these questions. I'm also a Virginia Grey fan.

Did she talk about The Bullfighter and the Lady, or mention Gilbert Roland or Katy Jurado? Also curious about Gable.
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by mongoII »

Alexa, any news on UI's "City Across the River" and "Girl's in the Night" yet?
Thanks
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Re: ASK ALEXA!

Post by Mrs. Osborne »

Good Afternoon SSO fans:

I am finally back and way behind on my work but here goes:

MONGO - no word yet on your Universal titles.

Virginia Grey fans:
Yes, I had the privilege of interviewing her. She was still beautiful with big blue eyes and was surprisingly tall.
I was told not to ask about Gable but I slipped in a question about IDIOTS DELIGHT.
She did talk about her mom being a "cutter" in the silents and how she was chosen for UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.
That piece that airs on TCM about THE WOMEN is from the interview and she DID NOT like Joan Crawford.
If you read Stanley Kramer's autobiography, there is a passage about Grey in it and how beautiful she was and that she had a poignant quality. He felt that she was a good actress but that she had given up her dream of stardom. She was cheerful but there was a resignation about her.

She was very friendly with our crew, and nice to me. I had the feeling she was missing all of her friends who were long gone. Lana Turner, and yes Gable.
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