filmnoirguy

During the pre-Oscar show, one of the hosts said that he had been asking Academy members who they thought would win Best Actor. He got a lot of: "I predict Chadwick Boseman, but I voted for Anthony Hopkins."

Judy Garland was cast with Fred Astaire in 1949's The Barkleys of Broadway but due to illness was replaced by Ginger Rogers. Then Garland was to replace June Allyson in 1951's Royal Wedding starring Astaire but again due to illness Garland was replaced by Jane Powell.

And what a terrible movie it was!

Nielsen just released TV ratings for 2021 Oscarcast. It was watched by a mere 9.85 million with a dismal rating of 1.9 in the 18 to 49 age group.

Read somewhere in the past that Cary Grant (age 50) was offered role of Linus Larrabee in 1954's Sabrina but turned it down because he thought he would look too old next to Audrey Hepburn (age 25) and William Holden (age 36). So Bogie (age 54) accepted. Guess Grant changed his mind about Hepburn by 1963.

It went by so fast, I couldn't keep up. I could look at a photo and not read the name/job title or vice-versa but by the time it registered 2 or 3 more had flashed by. Maybe they cut the visuals to the fast beat of the music, which was a poor choice to begin with. Hope the people who put this together are called out.

An article in today's Variety section of the Minneapolis Tribune begins: "It is a tribute to a country where people are free to honor noteworthy achievements regardless of creed, race or color," actress Fay Bainter said as she announced Hattie McDaniel as Oscar's best supporting actress of 1939. Now 82 years later, her statement may finally be true. It has taken too long, but this year's Academy Awards are the most diverse in Oscar history. (Unquote) Maybe this will be a larger audience than most of us are anticipating!

Ah, the 21st century! I knew it would arrive, eventually: 2000: Billy Elliot 2001: In the Bedroom 2002: About Schmidt 2003: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004: Sideways (Favorite of the decade) 2005: The Weather Man 2006: The Departed 2007: No Country for Old Men 2008: In Bruges 2009: Crazy Heart

My favorites for the 1990s, nominated or not: 1990: Dances with Wolves 1991: Europa, Europa 1992: Glengarry Glen Ross 1993: Schindler's List 1994: Pulp Fiction (Favorite of the decade) 1995: Richard III 1996: Shine 1997: L A. Confidential 1998: The Thin Red Line 1999: The Insider

Here are the movies of the '80s I would have voted for, nominated or not: 1980: Ordinary People 1981: Body Heat 1982: My Favorite Year 1983: Terms of Endearment 1984: A Passage to India 1985: Out of Africa 1986: Hannah and Her Sisters (Favorite of decade) 1987: Moonstruck 1988: The Accidental Tourist 1989: Driving Miss Daisy

The only one I've seen is Promising Young Woman which seems to be the only one you didn't see!

In 2020, the live TV audience in the U.S. fell to an all-time low of about 23.6 million viewers, down from 29.5 million in 2019. For 2021, the Academy is predicting 12 to 15 million viewers for the live ceremony. I'm guessing it will be closer to 17 million. And I'll be one of them! 😎

Here's my list for my favorite decade for movies: 1950s 1950: Sunset Blvd. (Not only my top film of the decade, but all time favorite) 1951: A Place in the Sun 1952: Singin' in the Rain 1953: Shane 1954: Rear Window 1955: East of Eden 1956: Giant 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1958: The Brothers Karamazov 1959: Ben-Hur

Here are my favorite movies for the 1960s, whether all or any deserved Best Picture is debatable: 1960: Sons and Lovers 1961: Fanny 1962: To Kill a Mockingbird 1963: Hud (My personal favorite of the decade) 1964: The Night of the Iguana 1965: The Sound of Music 1966: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1967: In the Heat of the Night 1968: Funny Girl 1969: Midnight Cowboy And working backwards, here are my favorites for the 1950s: 1950: Sunset Blvd. (My personal favorite of the decade) 1951: A Place in the Sun 1952: Singin' in the Rain 1953: Shane 1954: Rear Window 1955: East of Eden 1956: Giant 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1958: The Brothers Karamazov 1959: Ben-Hur

I think the Academy got it right for 6 years in the 1940s: 1940: The Grapes of Wrath 1941: Citizen Kane 1942: The Magnificent Ambersons 1943: Casablanca (Premiered in NYC on 11 .26.1942, but released nationally on 01.23.1943) 1944: Double Indemnity 1945: The Lost Weekend 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives 1947: Gentleman's Agreement 1948: Hamlet 1949: All the King's Men

My favorite comedy of the 1970s!

A few years ago after watching the Kentucky Derby, I dreamt that I got into an outdoor elevator to go to the Derby on the top floor. Betty Grable and her husband Harry James, who were known for raising race horses at their Baby J Ranch in Woodland Hills, CA, were in the elevator and told me that they owned a horse in the race. They thought it was a sure winner and gave me its name in case I wanted to bet on it. Both were very nice!

We can add one more child star. Lee Aaker died of a stroke on April 1, 2021, in Mesa, AZ, alone and unclaimed, listed as "indigent and decedent." Lee Aaker starred as Rusty in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin from 1954--59 on TV. He was discovered by director Fred Zinnemann in 1951 who cast him in the Oscar winning short Benjy. Then Fred gave him a small part in his 1952 western High Noon. In fact before he was 10, Aaker was cast in 9 films in 1952 including the Best Pic Oscar winner The Greatest Show on Earth, Hans Christian Anderson with Danny Kaye, O. Henry's Full House and The Atomic City with Gene Barry. The following year in 1953 he appeared in Jeopardy with Barbara Stanwyck, Mister Scoutmaster with Clifton Webb, Arena with Gig Young, and 1954's Destry with Audie Murphy. In 1963, he was uncredited in Bye, Bye Birdie. Former child actor Paul Peterson, who is an advocate for former youth performers, is trying to organize a burial service for his friend. "As an Air Force veteran, he is entitled to burial benefits. I am working on that. God knows when a sparrow falls."

1930's movie star Frances Farmer who wound up in a barbaric insane asylum, as portrayed by Jessica Lange in the 1982 film, "Frances." 1930's singer/movie star Lillian Roth whose career took a nose dive due to alcoholism, as portrayed by Susan Hayward in the 1955 film, "I'll Cry Tomorrow." She redeemed her career in 1962 with star billing in the Broadway musical "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" with Barbara Streisand, and was also featured as Mrs. Brice in the national touring company of "Funny Girl" in 1964, again getting top billing.

For me, it's Joan Fontaine's best performance and she should have won the Oscar for Rebecca.

Child actor Bobby Driscoll who starred in some of Disney's best live-action movies of the 1940s and '50s, including Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949) and Treasure Island (1950). He was the animation model and voice for Peter Pan (1953). Awarded a Juvenile Oscar for The Window (1949). In the mid 1950s when his acting career began to decline, he became addicted to narcotics and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. After his release, he moved to New York to find work in television and became involved in the avant-garde art scene. In ill health because of substance abuse and broke, his body was discovered on March 30, 1968 in an abandoned building in Manhattan's East Village. He was 31 years old. Not realizing who he was, and with no one claiming his body, he was buried in Hart Island's Potter's Field in New York.

Two of his novels were made into two of my all-time favorite movies. Hud (from his first novel Horseman, Pass By) and The Last Picture Show. I also enjoyed reading his epic Lonesome Dove, as well as the CBS mini-series. I didn't read Terms of Endearment, but liked this Oscar winner for Best Pic, Director and Screenplay (James L. Brooks), Actress ( Shirley MacLaine) and Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson). Entertaining sidebar: Burt Reynolds turned down the role of the retired astronaut because it wasn't one of the leads. Nicholson, by far a better actor, jumped in and won yet another Oscar for himself.

I watched The Woman in the Window once again recently on Movies! Unfortunately, it was colorized. It had been so long I had forgotten most of the story and the surprise ending. Movies! will be showing Father's Little Dividend on March 30.

Imitation of Life, Spartacus, Psycho, Thoroughly Modern Millie. President of the Screen Actors Guild. And then he became U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

For what it's worth, The Third Man is Dick Cavett's favorite movie.