CelluloidKid

*I love dirty little books about Hollywood ..._You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town_ was so brutal...can't wait to read this!!!* It was about the first woman producer to win a Best Picture Academy Award describes her rise in the motion picture industry and reveals behind-the-scenes gossip about some of Hollywood's hottest stars.

*New Book Sizzles with Dirt-Dishing Accounts of Roman Polanski and ...* Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 7, 2009 -- When successful classical music composer and conductor, Phillip Lambro (the United States International Orchestra, Crystal S-861), was hired by film director Roman Polanski in 1974 to compose the film score to Chinatown, Lambro found himself thrown into one of the biggest power struggles in classic celluloid history between film director Roman Polanski and producer Robert Evans. *Lambro's latest book, _Close Encounters of the Worst Kind_ (Lulu Press), depicts the raw antics of not only Polanski and Evans but some of Hollywood's biggest directors of the 70's with the kind of sharp sarcasm and brutal realism that we haven't seen since producer Julia Phillips' autobiography, You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again.* Lambro offers titillating Hollywood insider dirt between Polanski ("a contradiction and distortion like his life") and the power hungry Evans (who claimed responsibility for The Godfather's success because he specifically wanted an Italian-American to direct the film so the audience could, "smell the spaghetti") as they battled over control of producing Chinatown. Lambro says of Polanski, "When I witnessed his getting caught up in adversity after misfortune, we must deduce that his judgment was amiss." Lambro recalls how, in the editing room at Paramount, Polanski answered sex-for-sale ads from "Sally in the Valley" under the name of Paul. Lambro's warnings to studio execs about Polanski's bad habit went unnoticed and when Polanski was arrested in that same year for having sex with a minor. Lambro said, "it was ironic that Polanski, who had made a picture out of Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, had neglected Hardy's explanatory note from St. Jerome's proverb: "If an offense comes out of truth, better is it that the offense come than that truth be concealed." "Polanski," had neglected to discover Hardy's sincerity of purpose," Lambro added. Lambro's book reports that during the making of Chinatown, Polanski and Evans relentlessly struggled for supremacy while Polanski criticized Towne's writing and he insistently re-cut the film. Eventually Lambro's soundtrack to Chinatown was pulled by Evans (since Polanski had hired Lambro); the movie preview was a disaster, at the time the film did not make money, and Evans eventually lost his job as Head of Production, claiming that his tenure lasted longer than all of his marriages combined. Lambro noted that, "Evans' ex-wives are infinitely more intelligent than the Board of Directors at Paramount." Robert Evans went on a subsequent retrograding path with one motion picture disaster after another where, along the way he was convicted of cocaine possession, and was investigated for murder in relationship to his desperate attempt to meet added production financing and repayments on the cinematic debacle Cotton Club. Ironically, Lambro recalls when Francis Ford Coppola once told him, "there wasn't enough money for me to ever work with that guy (Evans) again." But in 1984, Coppola accepted Evans' offer to direct Cotton Club because Coppola needed the money - he was deeply in debt from making One From the Heart with his own money. Close Encounters of the Worst Kind is an irreverent tale about revenge and back-stabbing by our favorite Hollywood players who prey on themselves. About Phillip Lambro After winning a place for himself as one of the most talented young native classical composers, Phillip Lambro was barely 24 when the late Leopold Stokowski conducted Lambro's music MIAFLORES for string orchestra and William Smith, Associate Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra (another early Lambro mentor), performed both Lambro's DANCE BARBARO for Percussion and MIRAFLORES for String Orchestra with the Philadelphia Orchestra. To purchase the book and for more information about Phillip Lambro's career, visit: http://www.wimbtri.com/lambro/ Order the book at Barnes and Noble online, Amazon Click here to go directly to amazon.com; lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com/content/515542). *_Description_:* _CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE WORST KIND_ is an unconventional and startlingly truthful autobiographical memoir by the distinguished American composer-conductor Phillip Lambro. It includes little known highly personal and candid recollections and recounting of witty evocative situations and stories which Phillip Lambro has personally experienced during his interesting and varied life with an unbelievable diverse cast of famous personages ranging from Salvador Dali, Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Huntington Hartford, Howard Hughes, and Roman Polanski; to John F. Kennedy, Sylvia Plath, Harold Lloyd, Richard Nixon, Jack Nicholson, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and many more.

The Munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz" receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, site of "The Wizard of Oz's" 1939 premiere, in Los Angeles Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007. The Munchkins from left: Clarence Swensen, a Munchkin soldier, Jerry Maren, part of the Lollipop Guild; Mickey Carroll, the Town Crier; Karl Slover, the Main Trumpeter.

*Ronald Reagan (standing) October 3, 1946 with (L to R) Jane Wyman, Henry Fonda, Boris Karloff and Gene Kelly during an emergency meeting of the Screen Actors Guild at the Los Angeles Legion Stadium to discuss the film strike*

*Tullio Pinelli, left, who co-wrote the film ?La Strada? with Federico Fellini, far right, is seen in 1957 with the film?s co-producer, Dino de Laurentiis, and star, Guilietta Masina. "La Strada" won the first ever Academy Award for best foreign-language film*.

*This is also in "Hot Topics"!* *One of the last surviving 'Wizard of Oz' Munchkin Mickey Carroll dies at 89* http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?threadID=142691&tstart=0

*Roman Polanski Refuses to Return to U.S.* Mon., May. 4, 2009 E! Online By Josh Grossberg Apparently, Roman Polanski has a repulsion for courtrooms. An attorney for the fugitive Oscar-winning director today informed a Los Angeles judge that Polanski has no intention to fly in from Europe and appear in court for a hearing on whether the sex case should be tossed. The Chinatown helmer has been reluctant to set foot in the U.S. since fleeing the country for France in 1977 after pleading guilty to illegal sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. His lawyers have been working aggressively to clear his name, an effort that ramped up following last year's release of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, an acclaimed documentary that explored the 75-year-old filmmaker's family tragedies and the sex scandal that nearly ended his storied career. Polanski claims the original prosecutor and judge violated his civil rights. Also helping Polanski's cause is his victim, Samantha Geimer. Now 45, she has come out in his defense and asked the court to drop the case because the ongoing "lurid" details have harmed her and her family. Back in February, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza admitted Polanksi's request had some merit and gave the filmmaker two and a half months to surrender?a deadline ending Thursday. The judge has demanded Polanski appear in person and subject himself to arrest, but his legal team has refused. According to his reps, Polanski in Germany shooting The Ghost, a movie starring Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and Kim Cattrall and has no intention of ever returning to the states.

*LA judge denies Polanski's bid to toss sex case* By LINDA DEUTSCH The Associated Press Friday, May 8, 2009 *LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A judge on Thursday dismissed Roman Polanski's bid to throw out a decades-old sex case because the fugitive director failed to appear in court to press his request.* In a seconds-long hearing with no lawyers present, Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza said he was finalizing an earlier decision for the record. He had placed the order on hold to give Polanski time to return to the United States from France. His lawyer, Chad Hummel, notified the judge earlier this week that Polanski would not appear because he believed his presence was irrelevant to the dismissal motion. The judge took the bench briefly and said that because "Mr. Polanski doesn't intend to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court," his motion for dismissal would be denied. Hummel maintains that the issue of whether Polanski's rights were violated in his 1977 case can be decided in his absence. He has said he will seek review by an appeals court. Polanski, 75, pleaded guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl and then fled to France. He recently sought dismissal on grounds of misconduct by the now-deceased judge who had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it. Polanski risked arrest on a fugitive warrant if he returned to Los Angeles. "The misconduct is plainly evident from the existing record," Hummel said of the behavior of the deceased judge. He also noted that Espinoza's refusal to dismiss the case is contrary to the wishes of the victim, Samantha Geimer, who joined in Polanski's bid for dismissal. She has said she wants the case to be over. Espinoza relied on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, which says that fugitives are not entitled to the processes of the court as long as they remain at large. He also cited the more than 30-year delay since Polanski fled. Hummel contended the doctrine shouldn't be used "further to cover up misconduct and violate constitutional rights." Polanski lives in France, where his film career has continued to flourish. He received a directing Oscar in absentia for the 2002 movie "The Pianist." While still in the United States, he directed such classic films as "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby." A recent HBO documentary on his life uncovered new information about the judge's actions in the 1977 case, which led him to seek dismissal.

*Taos events mark 'Easy Rider' anniversary, '60s* May. 5, 2009 5:09 AM ET (AP) By DEBORAH BAKER Never mind that the original Summer of Love was 42 years ago and almost 1,000 miles away: Taos is offering its own version this year. The summerlong celebration marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic counterculture film "Easy Rider" _ some of which was shot here _ and the influx of hippies that added yet another spicy ingredient to Taos' multicultural stew. Scheduled events include a "hippie homecoming" parade, art shows, concerts, costume contests and lectures about Taos' bohemian edge and "Los Hippies." Country Joe McDonald will recreate his performance from 1969's Woodstock festival at a June 6 concert. "Our approach to the whole thing was to really have fun with it," said the town's public relations director, Cathy Connelly. But for a town of 5,000 that officials say gets 2 million visitors a year, tourism is serious business. Mayor Darren Cordova said Taos "has been a unique travel destination for over 1,100 years," a reference to Taos Pueblo, which anchors the northern New Mexico community. The Spanish settled here in the early 1600s, and Anglo artists began coming 300 years later. Cordova credited the area's natural beauty, isolation, exotic architecture, lifestyles and "a spirit that has not been ... paved over" for attracting waves of newcomers. The Taos Summer of Love kicked off Monday when actor and artist Dennis Hopper, a former resident who is a frequent visitor, was made honorary mayor. He moved to Taos for 12 years after discovering it while directing and starring in "Easy Rider." Hopper shot scenes that featured Taos Pueblo, a local hot spring and the interior of the jail where Billy and Wyatt _ played by Hopper and Peter Fonda _ famously meet up with George, played by Jack Nicholson. He wanted to film at the nearby New Buffalo commune but the residents wouldn't allow it, so he recreated it in Los Angeles for the film's commune scenes. "Easy Rider" _ which came in 88th in the American Film Institute's top 100 American movies _ was his attempt at capturing the political climate of the country at the time. The 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco was over, the '60s were drawing to a close, "and nobody's ever made a movie about it," Hopper said.

*The Towering Inferno Blazes Up to Blu-ray on July 14th, 2009!* You can relive a 1974 classic in 1080p this July. The Towering Inferno will be released on Blu-ray on July 14. We have no pricing details at this time, but you can take a look at the cover art and special features below. The film stars Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden and Faye Dunaway. A dedication ceremony at the world's tallest skyscraper turns into a high-rise catastrophe when a defective wire in its systems-control panel causes an electrical flare-up. Within minutes the gala event turns into a hellish inferno, as a raging fire traps society's most prominent citizens on the top floor. Winner of three Academy Awards, this spectacular suspense thriller features dazzling special effects and a star studded cast including Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden and Faye Dunaway. Special Features: - Inside the Tower: We Remember Featurette - Innovating Tower: The SPFX of an Inferno Featurette - The Art of Towering Featurette - Irwin Allen: The Great Producer Featurette - Directing the Inferno Featurette - Putting out Fire Featurette - Running on Fire Featurette - Still the Worlds Tallest Building Featurette - The Write Stirling Silliphant Featurette - AMC Backstory: The Towering Inferno Featurette - Deleted Scenes

*The divas Joan Crawford, left, and Bette Davis with Jack Warner of Warner Brothers*

*Jack Warner, Joan Crawford, Cesar Romero & Sonja*

*John and Mary Hayley Bell Mills*

*Sir John Mills, pictured above with daughters Juliet & Hayley,* *received a BAFTA Fellowship in London in 2002.*

Sorry about giving the wrong info on the picture... I corrected my mistake!

*The dapper director of photographer was Lucien Ballard, seen here with Hayley Mills _The Parent Trap_ (1961).*

*Hayley's Family -- (left to right) - Hamlet the Spaniel, Hayley, Jonathan (age 10), Suki the Peke, and her father.*

*Joan Crawford at the-Premier of _My Fair Lady_ (1964)*

*Rita Tushingham of "Doctor Zhivago" fame*

*Carmen Miranda can be seen FMC (Fox Movie Channel) Mon, May 11, 6:00 AM _Down Argentine Way_ (1940)*

*Another debatable list!* *I would just like to see Joan Crawford's _Letty Lynton_ (1932) released from the vaults & unto DVD!*

*15 Top Movies That Should Be On DVD, But Aren't* John FarrWriter, editor and lecturer on timeless film May 3, 2009 Huffington Post I just did a quick inventory of all the great movie titles that have not been given their due on DVD, and the sheer quantity stunned me. I know that rights issues and other legal quandaries can tie up creative assets for years, but surely if determined minds really applied themselves, some resolutions could be reached. One inevitable problem is that in the almighty pursuit of revenues, more time and effort gets applied against marketing often mindless new product than in promoting the best of our film heritage. To illustrate this mind-set, when I asked one aspiring West Coast titan several years back why "Bringing Up Baby" , arguably the definitive screwball comedy, was not out on DVD, he replied with a straight face, "Who cares about two dead actors and a leopard?" Scary, I thought. (Something must have registered in our conversation, though, as the DVD is now available). I must ask the question: how hard can offering these overlooked, first-rate titles be? Most of them have been previously released on VHS, which would be of some consolation except that the VCR has gone the way of the dinosaur. And how about the idea of rescuing major titles from the poor quality DVD oblivion of "public domain" status- for example, why must I watch a lousy transfer of Frank Capra's classic "Meet John Doe" ?) The fast-approaching reality of a fully on-demand universe means that consumers will rightly expect that for a price, they will be able to access high quality versions of most any movie they want, so those entities that keep outstanding content away from the public, whatever the reason, will hopefully decide to re-assess their position. Or is this simply wishful thinking? My own perhaps na?ve view is that though commerce-driven, great films also represent a vital cultural resource. Though hardly a life-or-death issue, withholding them from public consumption out of greed or simple neglect does constitute an injustice of sorts. Though cynics will scoff, I firmly believe that what we consume by way of popular entertainment helps determine the overall quality of our lives. *We all have special movies that we've always wanted to see in our DVD section, but never have (please feel free to share yours, by the way).* *Covering most every genre and period, here is my partial wish list:* *1. Red Dust (1932)-* A young Clark Gable plays a macho white hunter in Africa opposite a trashy Jean Harlow and a proper Mary Astor. Predictably the women do most of the hunting. Remade to lesser effect twenty years later as "Mogambo" (with Gable repeating his earlier role). *2. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)-* The late Leslie Howard's signature role as masked hero of the French Revolution, posing incognito as an English dandy. Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey co-star. (Public domain title). *3. Ruggles Of Red Gap (1936)-* Charles Laughton plays an English butler whose master loses him in a card game to a rich hayseed American, and who is then forced to relocate to the untamed West. Talk about culture shock. Roland Young and Charlie Ruggles (no relation) co-star. One of our finest screwballs, bar none. *4. Love Affair (1939)-* Leo McCarey's original version of "An Affair To Remember", with the Cary Grant/ Deborah Kerr roles essayed by Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne. Less glossy than the remake, but more affecting in my view, with an enchanting Dunne. *5. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)*- Starring Joseph Cotten, this was Orson Welles's second film about a family unwilling to adapt to the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution. Taken out of Welles's hands and chopped down to 90 minutes, the film still outclasses most other options, and would make a mint on curiosity value alone. *6. The Uninvited (1944)-* Spooky, subtle ghost story with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as siblings who purchase sea-side house with a grim, hidden past. Chilling, literate film introduced the classic tune, "Stella By Starlight". A forgotten gem. *7. Life With Father (1947)-* William Powell plays late nineteenth century patriarch Clarence Day opposite Irene Dunne in this charming and nostalgic family comedy, based on the hit play by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Look for a young, adorable Elizabeth Taylor. (Public Domain title). *8. The Gunfighter (1950)-* Henry King's signature Western about a gun-slinging outlaw who learns the difficulty of making a clean break with his past. One of Gregory Peck's finest early performances. *9. The African Queen (1951)-* Bogie won Oscar playing a broken down ship's Captain who gets into all manner of adventures with spinster Katharine Hepburn in John Huston's first-rate adventure outing. *10. Viva Zapata! (1952)-* Marlon Brando expertly portrays Mexican activist turned statesman Emilio Zapata in Elia Kazan's under-exposed historical drama. Also a superb showcase for Anthony Quinn, who plays Zapata's brother. *11. Two Women (1960)-* Sophia Loren won Academy Award as a mother who experiences rape (along with her young daughter) at the hands of marauding soldiers during World War 2. A late career peak for director Vittorio De Sica (Public Domain title). *12. A Thousand Clowns (1965)-* Magical black comedy features a tour-de-force turn by Jason Robards as an irresponsible dreamer at risk of losing custody of his adoring, like-minded nephew. William Daniels and Barbara Harris provide stellar support. *13. The Wrong Box (1966)-* Wacky, wildly clever British comedy involves machinations within one eccentric family to determine who will receive a sizable inheritance. Michael Caine and Peter Sellers star, along with old pros John Mills and Ralph Richardson. *14. Cousin, Cousine (1975)-* Saucy Gallic concoction has two distant cousins (Marie-Christine Barrault and Victor Lanoux) meeting at a wedding, and gradually embarking on a very sweet, light-hearted affair, much to the consternation of their respective neurotic, high-maintenance spouses. Just the kind of sexy, sassy romance that the French do best. *15. The Dead (1987)-* John Huston's final film brings to life the bittersweet characters and setting of James Joyce's "Dubliners". Clearly a labor of love for the dying director, the film stars daughter Anjelica, who is surrounded by a strong Irish cast.

*Joan Crawford on TCM May 2009!!!* Sun, May 10, 11:00 AM _Mildred Pierce_ (1945) Thu, May 14, 5:45 PM _The Women_ (1939)

*In 1962, Ivan Ulz wrote a song about actress Hayley Mills. In it, he expressed an ardent desire to meet her in person. It's 42 years later. Will he finally get his wish? With Glen Campbell on guitar, how can Ivan (aka Billy Kidd) lose?*

*Cindy Williams cruises in with 1973 classic to kick off film festival* By Jay Rey NEWS STAFF REPORTER - Buffalo News - 05/03/09 *NORTH TONAWANDA?The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival got going Saturday in the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda with a tribute to ?American Graffiti,? and who better to introduce the classic 1973 film than one of its own?actress Cindy Williams.* ? ?American Graffiti? was made in 28 nights for $750,000,? Williams said Saturday. ?Most of that money went to the licensing of the music for the film.? Film festival organizers brought Williams in for an appearance, with actor and Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., who entertained questions about his movie, ?Enemy Mine,? which also was shown Saturday at the film festival. While Williams forever will be remembered as Shirley Feeny from the television sitcom ?Laverne& Shirley,? some may have forgotten that she got her break in ?American Graffiti,? playing Ron Howard?s girlfriend, Laurie Henderson. Since ?American Graffiti? centers on two friends on their last night before heading off to college in the summer of 1962, the movie was filmed between 6 at night and 6 in the morning, Williams recalled. She remembers lying down in the back of the hot rods on the set just to get some rest. She also remembered one occasion when one of the other actors? Harrison Ford?interrupted her. ?What the hell are you doing in here?? Ford asked her. ?I?m just trying to get some peace and quiet,? she told him. ?Yeah, me too,? he added. Williams talked about some of her other now-famous co-stars, including actor and director Ron Howard, who would pepper the movie?s cinematographer with questions. ?I?m just asking him questions, because I?m interested in filmmaking,? Howard told her. ?I was like, ?Yeah right,? ? Williams said. Williams also recalled that around the time of the film she visited the director, George Lucas, at his home. Lucas, who was at the time writing the ?Star Wars? series, saw his wife pull in with their dog, ?Indiana,? in the passenger seat and noted how the canine looked like the co-pilot. ?That?s how Chewbacca came about,? Williams said. Williams starred in ?Laverne & Shirley? from 1976 to 1983 and more recently was in the Broadway musical ?The Drowsy Chaperone.? She will be part of the cast of ?Moon Over Buffalo? playing soon in the Toronto area. Before Williams? arrival at the Riviera, Gossett answered questions about his 1985 film ?Enemy Mine,? one of the more than 80 films in which he has appeared over the past 50 years. Gossett also was philosophical and talked about his most recent initiative, the Eracism Foundation, established to provide cultural diversity, educational and anti-violence programs. ?If I was 12, 13, 14 right now, I don?t know if I?d make it out there,? Gossett said. ?We have to turn them around a little bit and send them in the right direction.? Williams and Gossett entertained a sparse crowd ? about 50 people?but the moviegoers were enthusiastic. Williams posed with Darryl Stachura of Depew in the replica he built of the yellow 1932 Ford Coupe in ?American Graffiti.? ?That was awesome,? Stachura said. ?I?m so happy she?s that personable because you never know what to expect with people of fame.? Stachura is a big fan of the film. ?This movie is probably the first movie to bring street racing to the big screen,? Stachura said. ?If I told you I saw it 300 times, I would be short.? The film festival will continue through next Sunday at various venues around the Buffalo area.