ginnyfan
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Posts posted by ginnyfan
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I'm missing a photo TODAY IN GINNY and because the actress was in THE WOMEN, I'm not even bothering with a Ginny photo to make up for it.
First is actress Dorothy Tennant (1865). Tennant is another stage actress of some note who moved into films near the end of her long career. She was in eight films during the final decade of her life. In one of them, MEN WITH WINGS, she played Mrs. Hill. Her favorite role during that period was as dowager. The photo is of Tennant (at right) with Florence Nash and Gertrude Quinlan on stage in 1910.
Sam Wood (1883) was a director of some skill. Some remember him as more workman-like than genius, but he directed several Academy Award winning actors in his time. He directed the Marx Brothers first two MGM efforts, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA and A DAY AT THE RACES. It was during the former, we are told, that Wood fumed at the brothers, "You can't make an actor out of clay." To which Groucho replied, "Nor a director out of Wood." And that was when they got along. In the early days of Hollywood blacklisting, Groucho and Wood would be on opposite sides and Marx would refer to the director as a "fascist". Wood also once marveled at the ability of Gary Cooper to come across perfectly on-screen when he, Wood, found the performances to be so flat on the set. He decided Cooper just knew better than he.
Actor Robert Barrat (1889) followed up a fine Broadway career with a long and distinguished presence in film character roles. He was Wolverstone in CAPTAIN BLOOD, Chingashgook in LAST OF THE MOHICANS, and General MacArthur in THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. He played The Reverend in SOULS AT SEA. He was also John Stanton in the non-Ginny remake of LADDIE in 1940.
Slim Summerville (1892) is one of those "hound dog" looking actors. He got into the movies around age 20, working for Mack Sennett. He was in LOVE, HONOR, and OH BABY! with Zasu Pitts, one of several films they made together. He worked with Jane Withers and Shirley Temple at Fox, so he is one of several to have worked with all of what I consider to be "The Big Three". He was Sheriff Parton in HENRY GOES ARIZONA and in the photo it looks like Molly Cullison is about to get the best of him.
Meeka Aldrich (1903) is the actress I found no photo of. She was a masseuse in THE WOMEN. She is listed as being in six total films and the only credited role was her first, Flora Martinelli in THE LOVES OF RICARDO (1926).
Writer Bert Granet (1910) moved into production in the 1950s. He did a lot of TV producing for Desilu in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His writing came earlier. He wrote the screenplay for Ginny's FIXER DUGAN, Joan Carroll's OBLIGING YOUNG LADY, and Ann Miller's TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM. The photo is of Granet with Aldo Ray and George Cukor on the set of THE MARRYING KIND. I believe Granet and Cukor were taunting Ray because he'll never be a TIG-er.
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Musical Novelty, I've PMed you...
TODAY IN GINNY featured six honorees on Monday.
Songwriter Harry Von Tilzer (1872) was a very successful popular songwriter of the beginning of the 20th century. Hits included "A Bird in a Gilded Cage", "I Want a Girl (Just Like the Girl...)", "I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid", and the song that appeared in MRS. WIGGS, "Wait 'til the Sun Shines, Nellie".
Actress Bea Nigro (1885) had thirteen small movie roles from 1934 to 1945. The majority of these were society women. She played an Elegant Woman at Dock in LOVE IS A HEADACHE. A photo of Mickey, Gladys George, Ginny, and others stand in.
Actor Eugene Pallette (1889) was equally known for his girth and for his amazing frog-like voice. He was in over 250 films and if you've seen any of them you remember him in them. He played Mr. Nelson, the train conductor, in YOUNG TOM EDISON. He played confused cops, rich men who didn't know what to do with their money, political henchmen and he was good as all of them. Unfortunately, his biographies today seem to center on his eccentric life and political opinions. I'll let you look those up.
Actor Mel Ruick (1898) played the assistant theatre manager in BORN TO SING. His roles in the films of the day were quite small; his roles would be larger in middle age on television. The photo is a screen capture from the TV show, O.K. Crackerby! in 1965.
In a horrible editing accident yesterday, Paul Weatherwax (1900) wasn't mentioned in the TODAY IN GINNY text at the VWRS Facebook page even though his picture was sitting there for all to see.
Sadly, no one noticed.
Paul was the editor of SURRENDER, Virginia's earliest film. She played either "girl" or "little girl". I forget which, but she was eminently qualified for either one. He was also the editor of LONG LOST FATHER, where Virginia was promoted to "girl at pier".
Paul actually won two Oscars, for THE NAKED CITY (1948) and for AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS (1956). He also edited at least 12 episodes of LASSIE, giving that show two unrelated guys named Weatherwax, the other being Lassie's trainer/owner Rudd, on the production staff.
The photo of Mr. Weatherwax is from a plaque that apparently stands at the home in which he used to live near Sunset Blvd. and Havenhurst. It's also near the old home of Jay Ward Productions.
Actress Helene Whitney (1914) made four movies under this name, then changed her name to Helene Reynolds and made fourteen more. In the same year she played a Main Line Society Woman in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, she was the female lead in THE SAINT'S DOUBLE TROUBLE. After leaving the business in the late 1940s, she became an artist and the proprietor of a New York art gallery.
It's a pretty short TODAY IN GINNY for Tuesday and I'll try not to shortchange any honoree.
Richard Hageman (1888) was a composer of background music on MEN WITH WINGS (1938). He wrote background music for a lot of films but also did entire scores for films including ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and FORT APACHE. Interestingly, he also was an actor in 11 films, playing Maestro types in two Mario Lanza films, THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS and THE GREAT CARUSO. Someone here at the home office is busting buttons because she saw he once wrote a song called "Miranda".
Charles Sherlock (1900) was cast as a cameraman, one of dozens, on TOO HOT TO HANDLE. He had over 300 almost entirely uncredited roles from 1932 through 1965. I wish I could ID a type for you, but he doesn't seem to have had one. He did seem to play a lot of reporters in the first years of his career and a lot of people in courtrooms in his final ones. Thank heavens that he once worked with members of The Three Stooges (Shemp and Healy as solos) or we might not have a photo of him.
The great character actor Walter Sande (1906) made one foray into Ginnyworld, as a radio newscaster in THE GREAT MAN VOTES. Sande was in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, FRECKLES COMES HOME (a MONOGRAM "sequel" to FRECKLES), and I remember him as the rather dense Sgt. Matthews of the Boston **** series.
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It's another two-day TODAY IN GINNY!
Today in Ginny for Saturday featured one birthday.
Actor Ralph Morgan (1883) is overshadowed today by younger brother Frank (doesn't Frank actually seem older?), most likely because Frank got that one really memorable role among his solid body of work.
Ralph's work was also quite solid as he was comfortable in a wide variety of roles. He played villains, something I don't recall seeing Frank do much of. Ralph was well educated, with a law degree from Columbia, and SAG today gives out an award in his name. It's a pretty good legacy.
Most importantly, Ralph was in more films with Virginia than Frank, totaling four at three different studios. He was Reggie Odell in LOVE IS A HEADACHE, Captain John Carey in MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS, the evil spy Spiro in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT, and troubled Hardy Family friend Bill Northcoate in OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS.
For Sunday, Cinematographer J. Roy Hunt (1884) worked on two of Virginia's RKO releases, MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS and FIXER DUGAN. He also worked on CROSSFIRE, which happens to be one of my favorite films. Looking at his list of 185 films, another I'd like to see is a short called THE SPIRIT OF 1976 (1935). The plot was that in 1976, people would no longer have to work, would have numbers instead of names and would be so bored by it that they revolt to win the right to work again. A teenaged Betty Grable was featured.
Raymond Hatton (1887) was in his first film in 1909. He was in his last, IN COLD BLOOD, in 1967. I've seen him in guest roles in a lot of TV westerns and westerns do make up the bulk of his work. He escaped the saddle long enough to be Jabe Dolittle in TIMOTHY'S QUEST and the patrolling beach cleaner in THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA.
I have nothing on Fryda Gagne (1888). She was in three films in very minor roles and disappeared to the point where IMDb doesn't indicate any death for her. She was a townswoman in MAID OF SALEM. I've decided to skip any photo from the film this time.
The great director George Cukor (1899) directed Ginny's biggest performance and her oddest performance. The latter was THE WOMEN which is, unfortunately, TCM's favorite Weidler film. The former is the always wonderful THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, over shown but still appreciated. He directed a film I remember solely because Ginny makes a joke about it in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION-A WOMAN'S FACE. The photo of Cukor was taken on the set of ROMEO AND JULIET.
Finally, Ralph Volkie (1910) was a garbageman on camera for about three seconds in THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA. He's seen here trying to turn the newsboy so he can look at the newspaper gossip item at the center of the plot. Ralph played a lot of big guys, always uncredited, and was lucky to become one of John Wayne's favorite bit part actors. If you watched I LOVE LUCY regularly you saw him as Wayne's Masseur in the famous Lucy meets John Wayne episode.
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Thanks for that information TB. I've never seen one of their films and actually only know Tim from the Prof. Diz performance.
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On to TODAY IN GINNY.
Actor Dell Henderson (1883) was the House Manager in MRS. WIGGS and the chairman in MEN WITH WINGS. After a career on stage, Henderson became a director in the silents for almost fifteen years. When sound came in, he returned to acting and stayed there for two more decades. He played President McKinley in A MESSAGE TO GARCIA and I'm willing to bet that none of you can claim that it wasn't a spot on performance. He was also in LITTLE ORVIE, which should sent Danny heading back to the Merrick at any time now.
Constantine Romanoff (1897) played heavies, sailors, tough guys. He played a Pub Drinker in SOULS AT SEA. I'm guessing he won quite a few on-set bar bets by getting the other patrons to try to spell his name. He was also a bar patron in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. so I'll have to look for him. The photos of both Henderson and Romanoff are from the movie OUR RELATIONS with Laurel and Hardy.
Tim Ryan (1898) was probably best known for playing Dinty Moore in BRINGING UP FATHER and the other Jiggs and Maggie movies. He also played a lot of Irish policemen. Interestingly, his first Holywood work was a series of shorts with his then-wife Irene Noblett. She would eventually take his name professionally and be known as Irene Ryan. The marriage didn't last, but she kept the name. Tim played Professor Diz, the exasperated quiz show host, in THIS TIME FOR KEEPS.
Merritt B. Gerstad (1900) was the cinematographer on SOULS AT SEA. He also worked on A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD and RHAPSODY IN BLUE. That last one, according to IMDb was credited as Merritt Berstad. I'll have to look at the credits the next time it's on. The photo is of Gerstad filming Lili Damita and director Charles Brabin on the set of THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY.
Harry J. Wild (1901) was the cinematographer for THE ROOKIE COP. He would go on to photograph a lot of noir, 55 episodes of THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW and the blockbuster GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES. I guess you know what I'm going to say next. That makes Wild probably the only man to have been cinematographer for Marilyn Monroe, Virginia Weidler, and Ann B. Davis. Just sayin'. The lovely Miss Weidler and her pooch friend from THE ROOKIE COP hide from the bad guys in the photo.
Actress Beverly Tyler (1927) came from the same hometown as Gloria Jean and wanted the same thing, to sing in movies. MGM rarely let her. She did have a small career as an ingenue in films and actually did get to test for the lead in THAT MIDNIGHT KISS that eventually went to Kathryn Grayson. She was in two Ginny films, playing Thyra Winter (as Beverly Jean Saul) in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION and Miss Delaware Water Gap in BEST FOOT FORWARD, where they actually let her sing. She and Virginia became friends during those pictures and maintained it after Virginia had left the business. Beverly threw a baby shower for Virginia prior to the birth of her older son Ron.
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Hi! I'm Miranda Sommerfield subbing for gf on the holiday. You know me as Virginia's role in THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA, but I could have been a varied nuanced character if MGM would have let me.
Anyway, here's TODAY IN GINNY!
ginnyfan is really a meatball! He makes me want to snap my cap!
He leaves TIG to me on a day with ELEVEN birthdays! How am I supposed to handle ELEVEN birthdays?
Steven Foster (1826) was the bee's knees as a songwriter. His tunes almost provide the background for Ginny's entire career. Foster tunes were used in MRS. WIGGS, OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT, BAD LITTLE ANGEL, and BABES ON BROADWAY. The life of your truly was just a tad to hep for Foster tunes, though. Now if he wants to go back and write a song called I Dream of Miranda (with the braided hair)...
William Farnum (1876) was apparently from an acting family. His parents and brothers were actors and he was in Julius Caesar at age 10 with Edwin Booth. He played Crown Justice Sewell in MAID OF SALEM. gf would say something corny here like he was the only actor to play with both Booth and Weidler. Consider it done.
Jack Baxley (1884) was in two of Virginia's films, playing the Ringmaster in FIXER DUGAN and a Man at Dingle's Store in YOUNG TOM EDISON. Whgen Ginny and I were making MARTHA, he was of making the remake of MRS. WIGGS.
Joseph Ruttenberg (1889) was the Director of Photography for THE WOMEN and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. I always thought that girl in the mailroom with the yo-yo always looked better than me, now I know why.
Russell A. Gausman (1892) was set decorator on THE UNDER-PUP. What sets? It was set at a camp and the girls lived in tents! Try decorating an upper class Long Island town without making it look like we're doing Gatsby! That's tough.
Jack Dennis (1894) was the editor on TIMOTHY'S QUEST. We could have used a better editor on MARTHA so I could have been in it more!
Elliot Sullivan (1907) played the Cement Man in THE GREAT MAN VOTES and Harry "Ice Box" Swinnerty in THE SPELLBINDER, a film Ginny didn't even get a name in.
Thomas Carr (1907) struggled as an actor, although he did get a role as "man"-typical MGM typecasting-in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. He had more success as a director on THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN in the early 1950s.
Chester Gan (1908) played a Chinese Sergeant in TO HOT TO HANDLE.
Gloria Stuart (1910) was a great actress of the 1930s who was almost forgotten until she got a break at age 86 and was cast in TITANIC. She played Pamela Pryor in LADDIE.
Finally, sheesh, Audrey Scott (1914) was the riding double for Norma Shearer in THE WOMEN. She made a whole career of being riding double to the stars.
Instead of ten little photos of these people, how about letting the Winsocki Military Academy wish you a happy and safe holiday, instead.
(Photo courtesy of Danny Miller)
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For the second time in a week we're having a TWODAY IN GINNY posted because I skipped yesterday.
First, July 2...
Actor Hayden Stevenson (1877) spent 1915-1942 in Hollywood, worked regularly and during the sound era was rarely credited. In silent films, however, he worked mainly in shorts and tended to play the same characters over and over again in what must have been series. For example, he played Coach Tom Jones 35 times during 1926-1929 in the Universal series, The Collegians. He also appeared on Broadway in THE COPPERHEAD with Lionel Barrymore and Chester Morris. He played the deputy marshal in MAID OF SALEM.
Dave Ragin (1899) was a camera operator who was second camera on SURRENDER. While I found no photo of Ragin, I did find this photo of a frame with a clapboard showing Dave's name and the director as "Del Ruth", which can be either Roy or brother Hampton. IMDb doesn't show Dave as working with either, which probably just proves how incomplete the record is.
Sidney Kibrick (1928) played "Woim", sidekick of Butch, in the Our Gangs and apparently appeared in THE PINCH SINGER with Ginny's brothers. Based on the number of Pinch Singer cast members we're finding, I'm starting to believe it was directed by Cecil B. DeMille. BTW, Sidney's older brother will become a TIGer in September.
Earl Robinson (1910) was a folk songwriter and activist who also wrote several longer pieces meant to praise America while reminding it to live up to what it is supposed to be. Two of these were the "Ballad For Americans" which appeared in BORN TO SING and "The House I Live In" which was first sung by The Delta Rhythm Boys in FOLLOW THE BOYS, but was made famous by Frank Sinatra in his short THE HOUSE I LIVE IN. ginnyfan does find it rather ironic that Ballad For Americans, a song of inclusion, appeared in a film that earlier had featured blackface.
Billie Bellport (1911) appeared in three films as a young actress. She played Mrs. Peters in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1937. She then left acting, joined the Carmelites, and became Sr. Mary Fidelis. I have no idea if she ever met Juanita Quigley. I have no photo, so Ginny's moment as the flower girl in that film will have to do.
Don Gallaher (1917) was a dancer in several films. It is alleged, yet unconfirmed, that he was one of the dancing cadets in BEST FOOT FORWARD. In addition to six films as a dancer and/or actor, Don was also the dance director on the Dickie Moore jitterbug film JIVE JUNCTION, made at lowly PRC. In the photo, Don is at left, dancing with Jeanne Phelps-Veloz and Lennie Smith in the One Girl, Two Boys number from SWING FEVER.
Now for July 3...
George M. Cohan (1878) was one of the greatest performers of the 20th century. He started out as one of The Four Cohans in vaudeville but later moved on to Broadway, forming a partnership with Sam Harris as successful producers of shows. Cohan actually acted in five films, three of which were silent which seems like a complete waste. Many of his plays were turned into films and, of course, his music shows up everywhere. His songs "Mary's A Grand Old Name" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy" both were performed in BABES ON BROADWAY.
Richard Cramer (1889) was a bad guy...on screen. Off screen, I have no knowledge. He often tormented Laurel and Hardy and appeared in shorts with W.C. Fields. One of those, THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER, features three TIGers out of four credited cast members. We need to find a way to connect Rosemary Theby to Ginny to get a clean sweep.
Doris Lloyd (1896) was a two time TIGer, playing Mrs. Dorian in PETER IBBETSON and Mrs. Binns in THE UNDER-PUP. Her career started in silents in 1920 and lasted all the way past THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Might she be the only actress to work in films featuring Norma Talmadge, Virginia Weidler, and Julie Andrews?
Dorothy Kilgallen (1913) was a columnist and reporter who became more famous for her years on the panel of TV's WHAT'S MY LINE? Since I have read Virginia's name featured prominently in her column, she qualifies.
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There is only one item to be discussed today where Virginia Weidler is concerned, it's why I cleared the birthdays off the docket last night.
Today is the 45th anniversary of Virginia's death. A practicing Christian Scientist, she died at home, surrounded by family and friends to "see her off". They were able to treat it as a joyous occasion but I don't quite have that kind of faith and this day truly saddens me each year.
Virginia has become a true friend, as odd as that is. I thought when I started this I'd figure out the answers and I'd put it away, like a puzzle book. Instead I've found out that the more I know the more I just like her. I'm just so sorry I never met her and that it sometimes seems she died not knowing that what she had done professionally did matter to a lot of people.
Thankfully, though, she did have a great life after Hollywood.
I thought I'd link you back to the tribute I wrote on this date last year. Things we've figured out or at least decided to assume may make this little tribute now seem a bit naive, but it actually holds up better than I thought it would.
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It's time for TODAY...and TOMORROW IN GINNY!
First row is our June 30 honorees.
Walter Hampden (1879) was a very highly regarded stage actor who played Hamlet on Broadway three times. He also found time to appear in 31 films and TV roles. He played Pasquier in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO. Other non-Ginny roles included the Archdeacon in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939), Jervis Langdon in THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN (1944), and Oliver Larrabee in SABRINA (1954).
George Chandler (1898) was Cody in MEN WITH WINGS. He played a lot of taxi drivers, hotel clerks, patrons, and elevator operators in his film days. He lived long enough to play lots of senior citizens on 1960s and 1970s television. A caretaker in an episode of LOU GRANT was his 448th and final credit in 1979.
Michael Whalen (1902) was a handsome B lead in the 1930s, but by the 1940s was playing smaller roles in Bs and serials. He was a fairly popular choice for TV roles during the 1950s. Co-star abuse was a horrible problem at Fox in the 1930s and Whalen is seen here in a recently uncovered evidentiary photo. This treatment soon pushed him toward Columbia and a role with the always gentle, kind, and supportive Virginia Weidler.
Betty Lorraine (1908) was a chorus girl who landed a "bit role" in SOULS AT SEA. I found one photo of a Betty Lorraine, but that was another beauty who was a "toastette" on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1950s. Not our gal. Tina, from SaS will stand in.
Now for July 1 birthdays.
Wldemar Young (1878) was generally a scenarist in Hollywood. I know that's a guy who writes scenes, but it kind of says "script fixer" to me. He did his thing on PETER IBBETSON but is actually the second writer credited, making his contribution to the script a major one. Most of his scenario work was in the silent era at MGM, his later work in the talkie era seems to be full blown screenplays. THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER, the 1934 version of CLEOPATRA, POPPY and TEST PILOT are all his.
Don Beddoe (1903) has something in common with Virginia other than the films they were both in. Don was also the son of a professional singer, in his case his father Dan Beddoe. Don seems to be on MY televiosion screen several times each week, probably because I watch a lot of classic films and 1950s TV westerns. His classic movie roles include doctors, lawyers and police detectives. One of my favorite roles of his is that of Det. Sgt. Gus Forbes, the guy who very tellingly can't keep his cheap cigar lit in THE NARROW MARGIN. He played the frustrated Detective Thomas in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT (he's at far left in the photo) and Dinky in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. We don't know if he suffered on-set abuse from the co-star of THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER when he worked on it.
Wesley Giraud (1918) played Albert Tyler in GOLD RUSH MAISIE. He had appeared with Jimmy Butler in NO GREATER GLORY several years earlier and also appeared in DEAD END and BOYS TOWN. GRM was his final screen appearance as his one later role was deleted from that film.
Delmar Watson (1926) is one of nine acting Watsons. He was a very in demand actor in the 1930s; the roles were small, but he was always working. He played "little boy", a common role for him, in FRECKLES. He and three of his brothers got to play brothers in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. He also had a part in THE PINCH SINGER with those irrepressible Weidler boys. Delmar went on to be a news photographer as an adult and founded the Watson Family Photographic Archive to take care of the family's many photographs.
I normally shrink the photo block down, but I think a couple of these might not be viewable at a total width of 540 pixels.
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Well while I was out almost getting an automobile on my lap at Arby's today (true story), I missed all the fun here. If that car had gone about ten feet in a different direction there might not be a ...TODAY IN GINNY.
It's a small one, though, with one actual TIGer and a TIG once removed.
Actor John Kelly (1901) played Herb in TIMOTHY'S QUEST. A character actor of some note, Kelly played henchmen, convicts, sailors, ballplayers and quite a few boxers. I'm guessing that last part means he was pretty athletic looking. He was Canvas Back-is that a boxing reference?-in the Adolphe Menjou film LITTLE MISS MARKER and Ferguson in Alice Faye's POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL. The photo is from the movie SAN FRANCISCO and graces the "John Kelly" page at allmovie.com. I'm hoping the guy on the right might be Kelly.
We also have a TIG by sibling situation as ginnyfan always salutes actors who were in the Weidler Brothers classic, THE PINCH SINGER. John "Uh Huh" Collum (1926) appeared in that OUR GANG short. While he worked almost exclusively in OUR GANG/LITTLE RASCALS vehicles, he did also get to work in films with Laurel and Hardy, John Garfield, and Freddie Bartholomew.
The following is an example of the stuff written for "Uh Huh":
Cap: "Uh-Huh, can you use the word "Isthmus" in a sentence?"
Uh-Huh: ?Uh-huhhhhh?Isthmus be my lucky day!"
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It's time for the feature so nice, we do it twice.
TODAY IN GINNY.
Today in Ginny we salute exactly one new TIGer.
Actress Lois Wilson (1894) played Mrs. Creighton in BAD LITTLE ANGEL. Mrs. Creighton, along with "Father Jim" Creighton, take Patsy in when she flees to Egypt...New Jersey in BAD LITTLE ANGEL. Starting at Paramount in 1916, she was a leading lady in films well into the 1930s. By the mid-1930s, though, she was doing character parts and BLA was her first film in three years at that point. She retired in 1941, but came back in 1949 to work through the mid 1950s in early television. IMDb tells us that she was lifelong friends with Gloria Swanson and Edith Fellows, a rather varied combination.
I'm using a photo I've run before. Lois plays Chinese Checkers with Virginia during a break in filming.
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It's time for YIG, Yesterday In Ginny!
First up, the second of two songwriting sisters, Mildred J. Hill (1859) who, with school teacher sister Patty, wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. The song was cleverly incorporated into MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS somehow. There is some controversy concerning authorship, however. The Hills definitely wrote the tune. Their original was "Good Morning To All", a greeting for school children. It eventually showed up in a published songbook with the current lyrics, but no one is actually sure who changed the words.
It was a writer's day! Anne Crawford Flexner (1874), Vassar graduate, wrote MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH and several other plays. Her husband was a prominent educator and I found a photo of him. Europena Wiggs once again stands in for our honoree.
Irish born character actor Forrester Harvey (1884) was a Pub Proprietor in SOULS AT SEA. He was in over 100 films between 1922 and his death in 1945. Unlike a lot of our character guys, he doesn't seem to be stuck in just one type of role, although he does seem to get a lot of roles in Dickens adaptations. The photo of him is as Fezziwig in the Reginald Owen version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL featuring the Lockharts.
Wow! Another writer! Lillian Day (1893) wrote the novel THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION, the movie of which creates a bit of controversy here as some members love it, some members hate it, and I am decidedly wishy-washy about it. It was, of course, the first of two "Glamour Ginny" films after which she hit the stage. Day wrote several other novels, a failed Broadway play, articles for the New Yorker but she never reached the success of this one book. Joan, Patsy, Joan's folks and Dad's secretary sit in for Day.
Earl S. Hayman (1896) was a sound recordist on TIMOTHY'S QUEST. He worked on seventy features from 1929-there wasn't a lot of call for sound recordists before that-to 1946 and worked A LOT with Bing Crosby. Samantha Tarbox sits in.
Wallace Worsley Jr. (1908) is the son of a silent film director who directed several Lon Chaney films. Worsley Jr. was himself a script clerk and was the script clerk on TOO HOT TO HANDLE. He was also the script clerk on a more famous film. Can you guess what it is? The "hint" is in the photo.
The big TIG, or YIG, yesterday was dancer Ray McDonald. Ray came to MGM from Broadway, where he had been in the cast of a play called BABES IN ARMS. The Broadway cast included Mitzi Green, Ray Heatherton (Joey's dad), the Nicholas Brothers, Alfred Drake and Dan Dailey. McDonald's older sister and former stage partner Grace, who also came to Hollywood, was featured prominently. Hollywood wasn't kind to Ray; Grace fared slightly better at Paramount and Universal. Ray's biggest successes might actually the two films he made with Virginia. He later married dancer Peggy Ryan and, after making a few films together, the duo hit the stage with a dance act until their divorce the year prior to his death in 1959. A ginnyfan-altered photo of Virginia and Ray-I cut their BABES ON BROADWAY supporting players out of it-is a fitting photo for Ray.
Edited by: ginnyfan on Jun 28, 2013 10:17 AM
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TODAY IN GINNY features five honorees and three photos of Ginny. A perfect combination.
George C. Pearce (1865) started in Hollywood in 1914. One of his earliest roles was as Professor Squirrel in HAM IN THE NUT FACTORY. Even early in his career, he played guys named 'Pa'. By the end of his career in 1939, he'd be consistently playing guys named Pop or Doc. He was the minister in MRS. WIGGS and a photo of little Europena fills in quite nicely.
Mitchell Lewis (1880) is a multi-multi TIGer. He played a Fireman in BAD LITTLE ANGEL, Rancher Bull Carson in HENRY GOES ARIZONA, McGuire in YOUNG TOM EDISON, and Henchman Al in I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. He was deleted as Miggs in GOLD RUSH MAISIE. The photo is Al escorting Robert Sterling's date off the dance floor in IWFY. His most famous role is as the Captain of the Winkie Guards in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
Allen G. Siegler (1892) was a cinematographer at Columbia. While there he did shorts, lots of Three Stooges shorts, low budget crime films, and several LONE WOLF features. He was the cinematographer on THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT. Patricia Lanyard sneaking out of the spy gang's trunk-that can't be a good idea-stands in.
Vera West (1898) was a costumer for Universal for many years. At Universal, she worked on a lot of the creature features, Sherlock Holmes features, and SHADOW OF A DOUBT. IMDb says her specialty was gowns, but there were no gowns in THE UNDER-PUP. I guess she's responsible for those Penguin Club outfits.
June Preisser (1921) arrived at MGM from Warners after Virginia and exited before Virginia. While they were both there, they never made a picture together, even though they both were in Hardy Family films and both were in Babes films. Their connection derives from the time they spent together on the vaudeville stages and in military camps performing for the troops. The photo is of June and Ginny lining up for the big swimming contest at Judy Garland's 17th birthday party. It's the only photo of the two next to each other that I know of.
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Just give me one night, that's all, just one...
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Due to a posting oversight, we have a TWODAY IN GINNY for Monday and Tuesday.
First up is Irving Pichel (1891). He won two awards for the 1950 Sci-fi adventure DESTINATION MOON.The actor/director best known for THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME and apparently credited with discovering Natalie Wood wasn't in and did not direct a single Ginnyfilm. His connection is that in March of 1939 he and Virginia were both in the cast of a Gulf Screen Guild Theater production of NEVER IN THIS WORLD. Virginia was the star as Susan, the girl who lives in a fantasy world created by her father, played by Leslie Howard. Kay Francis is their next door neighbor. You can hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GpIcq3W-BGQ#t=3535s. Virginia's play starts at 58:55.
Wilhelm W. Brockway (1907) was a sound engineer on THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION. He only has seven credits posted on IMDb. TYP is his first, THE KISSING BANDIT was his last. I found no photo. A TYP lobby card is at bottom to cover for him.
Harold Buchman (1912) was a writer on OUTSIDE THESE WALLS and had himself a nice little career going writing programmers and Broadway plays and rewriting THE RICH FULL LIFE (a semi-connection) until it was CYNTHIA and somewhat resembled a successful movie. Then he ran into the House Un-American Activities Committee, took the fifth, and it was all gone. He wrote either as uncredited or as Derek Frye and didn't have another credit under his own name until he co-wrote the script for the 1970 film THE LAWYER, a film that spawned the TV series PETROCELLI, which would be his final credit. His photo is a newspaper clip from the hearing.
Juanita Quigley (1931) is someone I'd try to sneak in under an exception, but I don't have to. IMDb says she played Patricia Falconer at age 6 in MEN WITH WINGS. While we have already discovered that they list at least one actress who wasn't in the film-Marilyn Knowlden-as Patricia at an older age, I choose to believe them here. Joan Leslie and sister Mary Brodel couldn't have played a six year old in 1938. Ginny played Patricia's mother as a child. All very confusing. Juanita also got to play "The Runt" in A YANK AT ETON, a role Virginia was supposed to play when the film was originally set to be filmed in London in 1939 and WW II cancelled it. Three years later, Virginia was 14, taller than Mickey, and The Runt was out for her.
Today at the VWRS, it's been June Lockhart Day all day! June recently agreed to talk with us about Virginia, their time together on ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO, and even helped us put into perspective the why of Virginia's exit from the business.
She also spoke of her passion for NASA and for the Los Angeles Lawyers' Philharmonic.
The VWRS mailed her this card for her 88th birthday.
Here's the non-Lockhart portion of Tuesday's TODAY IN GINNY.
Spanish born actress Judith Vosselli (1895) spent the 1920s on Broadway and started making films in the middle part of that decade. She appeared in a lot of what I would call classy productions, playing Odette in Garbo's INSPIRATION, Mme. Cecile in KISS ME AGAIN, and Madame Goro in Sylvia Sydney's MADAME BUTTERFLY. One of her less classy roles was as Modiste in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936.
Reed Hadley (1911) is probably more remembered for his early television work than his movie career. He was Capt. John Braddock in the 1950 series RACKET SQUAD where, after he caught the gang, he'd tell the audience something they should be on the lookout for to insure they didn't get taken. In 1955, he became Bart Matthews, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, for two seasons. On the big screen, he was Jesse James in I SHOT JESSE JAMES and often was a narrator or radio announcer because of his polished voice. He was mob boss Tony Berolli in I'LL WAIT FOR YOU.
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MAKE MINE WEIDLER
By ginnyfan
Dear TCM:
I hope you don't mind
You really can't blame me
But your channel I changed
On that night filled with Mamie
If you want my attention
My remote to sit idle-r
Just give me a night
Of the films made by Weidler
A night full of Ginny
That would be quite a treat
I can't think of a film
That wouldn't be neat
Her own she did hold
With Mickey and Judy
A night of her films
Would be real “rootie-tootie”*
To see her once more
Play Joan, Joan, Jake, Jake, Terry
Dinah, Tina and Luck
Just leave out Little Mary
RO's intros and outros
Would be just the touch
Talk to Rooney and Withers
Am I asking too much?
Try to coax Universal
Get back to the beginn-y
Get the earliest films
Of the gal we call Ginny
In the past you've saluted
The dog and the horsie
I would rather watch Weidler
Punch out Leo Gorcey
A Night for Virginia
Is something I pine for
Let's agree she's a star
TCM should make time for
*-"rootie-tootie" rhyme courtesy of Dinah Lord
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TODAY IN GINNY I think we may have a new leader in the clubhouse for oldest TIGer.
Composer Carl Reinecke (1824) wrote the choir song performed early in THE UNDER-PUP. Like Ginny, he was a child performer, playing concerts from the age of twelve. In "retirement" he turned to composition, writing over 300 pieces before his death in 1910.
Donald MacBride (1889) found his character and played it to the hilt. His was the blustering, angry guy who looked as though a stroke would be forthcoming at any minute. I mainly remember him as Gregory "JUMPING BUTTERBALLS!!!!" Wagner in ROOM SERVICE, but he played frustrated policemen and DAs and military officers in over 150 films. His career is even more interesting in that he spent the first twenty years appearing in shorts and the next twenty in features. He played Iron Hat McCarthy in THE GREAT MAN VOTES and the very frustrated Captain Bradd in BEST FOOT FORWARD.
Edmond Cobb (1892) played in many westerns and few had more right than he based on lineage. Grandson of a former Governor of the New Mexico Territory who was also a Senator from Kansas, Cobb was born and raised in New Mexico. Cobb was once married to an actress named Helen Hayes, but not THAT Helen Hayes. He has a whopping 656 credits on IMDb. He played a good number of sheriffs and ranchers and even was a race caller in DRAGSTRIP GIRL. He's listed as playing a detective with a note in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT, but I didn't find him on a quick scan this afternoon.
John F. Seitz (1892) was director of photography on two Weidler films, LOVE IS A HEADACHE and BAD LITTLE ANGEL. He also worked several times with another child actress some may have heard of. To make up for the obvious slight of not being nominated for awards for either Weidler film, Seitz was nominated seven times for Oscars for lesser films, like THE LOST WEEKEND and SUNSET BLVD.
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> {quote:title=LiamCasey wrote:}{quote}Or could it have been Richard Widmark who did *Madigan* as both a feature film and as a short-lived television series?
That's the one I would have thought of, too.
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Saturday's TODAY was a small one.
Joe Cunningham's career matched Virginia's pretty closely in years spanned. It ran from 1932 to his death in 1943. His parts weren't large, but many were indeed credited. His most frequent role was as Maxie Monkhouse, Torchy Blane's city editor. He played an unemployed man in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS.
Lionel Banks (1901) was a successful art director, mailny at Columbia. He was nominated for seven Oscars for HOLIDAY, MR. SMITH, ARIZONA, LADIES IN RETIREMENT, THE TALK OF THE TOWN, COVER GIRL, and ADDRESS UNKNOWN. He was exactly zero times. He wasn't nominated for THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT.
Earl A. Wolcott (1901) was a sound recordist. He started right as sound was becoming standard in 1929. He worked on KING KONG, SON OF KONG and several films featuring The Saint. He worked with Virginia on THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT.
Since I found no photo for any of these three, a poster from OUTSIDE THESE WALLS will stand in.
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> {quote:title=Dargo2 wrote:}{quote}Actually sfp, that was "All My Children"'s Peter Bergman here...
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> I believe Chris "starred" in a series of some kind of "Constipation Aid" type commercials back in the day, but I don't think he actually says that infamous line in 'em.
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> (...btw, I believe it was that series of commercials that Johnny Carson once spoofed, where he says something to the effect of, "Let's talk about constipation", and then he gets hit with a whole bunch of pies right in the kisser)
Chris Robinson did the "I'm not a doctor" commercials first in 1984. He lost the job after he was convicted of income tax evasion in 1985 and Vicks hired Bergman.
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That is interesting that he actually toured with the Stooges as well.
I'm guessing they had a pretty successful stage act...
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You can't escape it. It's another TODAY IN GINNY!
First up in the birthdays is actress Mary Young (1879). She didn't start in movies until she was almost sixty and had an uncredited role as a Grandma in THE WOMEN. She continued to work until she was 89, usually playing people with "Mrs." as a first name. She wa in THE LOST WEEKEND and on PETTICOAT JUNCTION and there is something to be said for that.
It's a songwriter day! Mack Gordon (1904) is a Hall of Famer who wrote the lyrics to the song "It's The Animal In Me" from THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936. My guess is that you probably know some of his other songs, such as "At Last", "You'll Never Know", and "The More I See You". He's seen here with fellow songwriter Harry Revel (at piano).
Earl K. Brent (1914) is another songwriter who wrote "I'll Love You", "Here I Am, Eight Years Old", "I Hate the Conga", and "Two A.M." for BORN TO SING. I must admit that when I look over the songlist, I don't know any of his other work, but there is a lot of it on IMDb. I found no photo, so we'll let Virginia with her "somebody put a baseball bat down the middle of my head" hairdo from BORN TO SING fill in.
Rudy Wissler (1928) was a kid actor who appropriately played a kid in BORN TO SING. He also appeared in the Gas House Kids films of the mid 1940s. He was indeed born to sing, however, and in his biggest role he was unseen. His was the voice Scotty Beckett borrowed when he played Asa Yoelson in THE JOLSON STORY.
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Today In Ginny features four birthdays.
First up, writer Eddie Welch (1894). Eddie wrote additional dialogue for THE BIG BROADCAST of 1936 and was one of the writers of record of the Lew Ayres feature SCANDAL STREET in which Ginny participated. A print ad for the movie stands in today.
Eddie Laughton (1903) worked with a lot of good people such as Cary Grant and Buster Keaton. He moved easily between programmers, "A" features and shorts. He played different roles in several Lone Wolf films and was a mustached henchman in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT. He was also a prisoner in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. The photo might not be from THAT film.
You know the next guy. Errol Flynn (1909) was a great actor, heartthrob of millions, and the oddest choice to play in westerns ever. I admit to not being the biggest fan of movies with a lot of buckle swashing, so I've mainly seen Flynn in films other than what made him famous. He played himself in PEEKS AT HOLLYWOOD, the short that would mark Virginia's final screen appearance.
Gail Patrick (1911) played the tough gal in movies. She later figured out she liked the business side of things and became the very successful executive producer of the Perry Mason television series. She was also executive consultant for The New Perry Mason, but we aren't going to talk about that. She was a nurse in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 and was probably actually on set with Virginia since Ginny played Girl In Hospital. She was also in KATHLEEN so Ginny would have worked with her again, but NOOOOOOOO! Some other child actress had to say, "You can't be in KATHLEEN. KATHLEEN is now MY film! You go get pinched by Wallace Beery, instead!"
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It's a light TODAY IN GINNY with only two honorees.
Robert Whitney (1910) is interesting because he is the only person listed on IMDb whose birthplace is listed as "On The High Seas". He has 12 credits listed over a sixteen year career, all of them but one, his role as Wayne Trenton in JUDGE HARDY'S CHILDREN, shown as uncredited. He was a newsreel man in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. We'll let a behind the scenes photo from that production stand in for Mr. Whitney.
Now for the Jerry Jerome mystery. There are two Jerry Jeromes listed by IMDb as being birthday boys. Usually, this just means that the guy was an actor and became a director and his record got split. Warner and Walter Weidler each had two IMDb records because they also worked under their German names. That has been fixed. I'm fairly sure in this case, however, that there are two Jerry Jeromes and that one of them has gotten stuck with the others DOB and DOD information. One is a tenor sax player who played with Glenn Miller among others.
Our Jerry Jerome (1912?) played gangsters, cops, and soldiers. He was in two Weidlers, playing Pete, a gangster, in I'LL WAIT FOR YOU and an "audience gangster" (what is that?) in BORN TO SING. His photo is from the former, where he's seen standing next to mob boss Reed Hadley.
In search of...Virginia Weidler
in General Discussions
Posted
We have a single honoree TODAY IN GINNY.
Lyricist Theodora "Dolly" Morse (1883) wrote the lyrics to "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here!" which was performed in the RKO film, THE GREAT MAN VOTES. Theodora was married to Tin Pan Alley songwriter Theodore Morse, making towel buying easy, and collaborated with him as well as others songwriters of the era. She wrote under the pseudonyms of Dorothy Terriss, Dolly Morse, and D.A. Esrom.