Guest Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 The thoughts that were shared under the recent thread ?The Academy Awards? Forgetfulness?, made me think about the fact that a generation of film pioneers is rapidly passing away. Some of these people have certainly recorded their thoughts and given their papers to such colleges as Boston University, the University of Texas archives and to the AFI & AMPAS. Additionally, some small presses, such as the University Press of Mississippi, have published biographical works using primary resources, (aka ?the horse?s mouth?). While some of this wealth of knowledge appears in biographies, much of the firsthand biographical material is often accessible only to accredited scholars or is published in books that are prohibitively expensive. Based on some of the comments in this forum, I wonder if perhaps there is a more general audience who?d love to hear from the artists and craftsmen of the studio era before the parade fades away completely. The following are some of the individuals whose experiences I?d like to see TCM capture on film, if they haven?t already. Many of them have already recorded reminiscences that have been used to highlight an upcoming featured actor or film on TCM. TCM!--Please broadcast all their thoughts or have Mr. Osborne interview them before time takes them away. If TCM doesn?t think that it would garner enough of an audience, why not run their interviews late at night, when the audience is thought to be smaller anyway--some of us could tape them and the hard core among us would probably burn the midnight oil to see them. If some actors would prefer not to be seen on screen at an advanced age, why not accommodate them by running their comments with some appropriate film or stills? I'd also love to see and hear the thoughts of the "anonymous" craftsmen whose skills built the sets, clothes, ambience and illusions as well. Anyway, here?s my wish list--hope that you?ll add your thoughts too. I?m sure to forget some interesting people: Present at the Creation (of an art form)--or maybe it just seems that way Frances Dee Norman Lloyd Joan Leslie Jennifer Jones Olivia De Havilland Charles Lane Ann Blyth Celeste Holm* Lauren Bacall Late Arrivals at the Party--but some of the last of the contract players during the demise of the studio system Ann Francis Richard Anderson Rod Taylor Alan Young *Ms. Holm has given a long interview to the Fox Movie Channel, and recently appeared at a 3-day event at George Eastman House in Rochester, NY in the winter(!), so perhaps she has the energy and time to share more of her experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 I certainly agree that if an interview could be done (without showing an elderly person who doesn't wish to be seen by the public anymore) by doing the interview showing clips from that person's films, we would at least get something to keep of this actor or actress, and I've said many times on these boards that I think it's criminal not to have interviews or documentary spots of all those who are too quickly reaching the end of the trail. They should have been done years ago! There are a great many still living film industry people I would be very intrested in seeing on TCM, even in the middle of the night, if they would just get something on film, and of course most of all, the incredible Anne Bancroft! There are also a great many Character or Supporting Actors that deserve being preserved on film in an interview before it's too late. ML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Great post moira. I've been posting my hopes for a few years now wanting interviews with Robert Osborne and those stars from Golden Hollywood before its too late. Other than the gems you listed we still have: Howard Keel Kathryn Grayson Glenn Ford Gloria De Haven Janet Leigh Van Johnson Esther Williams Deanna Durbin (yeah,sure) Lets keep our fingers crossed. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Anne Bancroft would be a wonderful choice, ML. From the ridiculous ("Gorilla at Large") to the sublime ("84 Charing Cross Road")--she's still so active, funny and seemingly honest--I'd love to see that. I'd love to see a special just interviewing supporting character players--they're often the only reason I watch a film. A Couple of Additions to my original list:Geraldine Fitzgerald Diane Baker Janet Leigh James Whitmore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Love your list, Mongo. I understand that Glenn Ford has been very ill during the last few years--but perhaps one way to share his thoughts if it was too stressful for him or others to record would be if some anonymous sounding, though similar voiced person, could speak the words for the actor or craftsperson. This was done quite effectively and respectfully during the recent 'American Masters' documentary about Judy Garland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 moira I'm sorry to say that I don't believe Celeste Holm is feeling that well either. When I saw her last in an interview she was a little hoarse and somewhat out of breath. She also took ill at a recent function and had to get medical aid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 In addition to those mentioned, I'd also love to see Joan Fontaine do an interview. She's so elusive these days, and yet was a major Hollywood star in the early 40's and shared the screen with the likes of Fred Astaire, Laurence Olivier, and Cary Grant. I would love to hear her stories. Another addition would be Jane Russell. The last time I saw her was on Larry King when Bob Hope died. She looked eager to talk, and is a genuinly nice lady, and a great candidate for an interview. A couple others would be : Anita Page (who unbelievably is still around) Jackie Cooper Margaret O'Brien Ann Rutherford (who's also a very nice lady) Mickey Rooney Patricia Neal Luise Rainer Ruth Hussey June Allyson Deborah Kerr (who is unfortunately in ill health, but might be willing to record an audio interview) A couple of the names I mentioned might have already had a Private Screenings on TCM (I know June Allyson did), but more interviews would be great and very well received by all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 A definite yes about James Whitmore, Moira! He goes way back, and would give a totally facinating interview. The history he is carrying around with him is wonderfully dense. I sure wish that TCM would snag him before it's too late. ML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Some other names would be Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin - let's see this legendary couple interviewed together. I'd also love to see Kitty Carlisle Hart talk about working with the Marx Bros. and Bing Crosby. And although he's not really a "movie" star, I'd love to see an interview with Artie Shaw - he had romances with alot of actresses, among them Judy Garland and Lana Turner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Speaking of Character or Supporting actors/actresses, I just saw a clip TCM has done for Edna Mae Oliver. They have someone briefly (too briefly) talking about this wonderful character while at the same time offering several clips of Oliver in some Classic films. Now, if TCM can put together a very nice one-minute spot for so many people, why can't they also put together a one-hour special for all these people who we'll never remember or know anything about unless they do? How many people here even know who Edna Mae Oliver is (without checking at IBDb), or what Classic movies she was in? I know that I've seen her face countless times, but I knew nothing about her, and that just ain't right at a station that shows so many wonderful Classic movies everyday. No matter how or when TCM "might" possibly start introducing us to these Character and Supporting actors/actresses, I will be happy beyond my wildest dreams. ML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasterryjr Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 I am thoroughly surprised TCM has never tried to interview Olivia de Havilland. She is living in Paris. She could talk about "Gone with the Wind, "The Heiress,", working with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, how Hollywood changed from the time she began in movies to what it is today. She would be a fascinating interview. TCM would have to send Robert Osborne to Paris to interview her and I don't believe they would budget for such an event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I agree about Olivia deHavilland. I don't know why she isn't sought after for interviews since she is really the last surviving star of Hollywood's true "Golden Age" along with her sister Joan Fontaine. Olivia came to the U.S. in 1998 for the re-release of "GWTW," and gave interviews then, but since then she's only done her stint at last year's Oscars, and that was it. TCM should take the time and money to get her in a filmed interview with Robert Osborne, who would do a fantastic job interviewing her. It bothers me that these stars are either going to pass away or become to ill to film an interview (like Deborah Kerr), and nobody is getting on the ball to get them now before its too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I wish and wish Fay Wray would be interviewed extensively. This time, have her discuss some other great horror/chiller movies she made back in the 30s. The first one would be "The Most Dangerous Game" (1932). I understand she and co-star, Joel McCrae, got banged up a lot during those extensive running scenes in the jungle. I would definitely love to hear about her experiences in making those two early Technicolor horror fests, "Doctor X" and "Mystery of the Wax Museum." In the first one, Lionel Atwill played her father. In the second, he played her looney loverboy. I'd like to hear if Fay found Mr. Atwill to have busy hands like some actresses complained of. He did love the gals! And how did she like working for the demonic director, Michael Curtiz? Also, it'd be fun to hear from Cammie King--the gal who played little Bonnie Blue Butler in GWTW. She told one interviewer she had found Vivien Leigh very high strung but didn't elaborate. I'd like to find out once and for all if Cammie's voice was dubbed by another child? I've heard that David Selznick didn't like Cammie's real voice. So, a l4-year-old voice double was called in. Or so the legend goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinemetal Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Fay Wray might be in too poor a condition to do an interview. I waited on her a few years ago at a restaurant in the Plaza Hotel, and her hearing and walking abilities were not quite up to snuff. At least, that's the impression I got that evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 WOW cinemetal! You work at The Plaza!?! That must be a great job - you must see a lot of celebrities. I've only been there a few times to dine and just in those few times I saw a couple celebrities - so working there you must see them all the time! And even though she was in poor health, it must have been cool to wait on Fay Wray! I would've gushed all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinemetal Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Well, I USED to work at one of the restaurants there. In my time there, I either personally served or ran into Fay Wray, Will Smith, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (KISS band members) and John Cusack. At other restaurants in Manhattan, I have seen the following: Calvin Klein, Tommy Mottola, Candace Bushnell (ask all fans of Sex and the City who she is), Juliette Binoche, Benjamin Bratt, Peter Gabriel, Sidney Lumet, Nick Pileggi, Nora Ephron. At various screenings at NYU, Lincoln Center, Film Forum, etc., I have met and shared a few moments of conversation with Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Andre de Toth, Peter Bogdanovich, Claude Lelouch, Spike Lee, John Frankenheimer, Thelma Schoonmaker (Scorsese's editor since the 70s), Annette Insdorf (Truffaut's biographer and chair of undergrad film at Columbia), Andrew Sarris (biggest Stateside proponent of the auteur theory) and plenty o' others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosinryanz Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Hear's what I know about some of the great actors still alive. From what I hear, Olivia de Havilland isn't too keen on interviews. Even back in 1989, she only gave one interview for GWTH's 50th Anniverary (Good Morning, America, I believe). She lives in Paris and is very busy wrtiting her memoirs. Joan Fontaine lives a very quiet retirement in Carmel, CA. I heard she recently donated some of her gloves to a charity auction. Fay Wray was recently visited by Peter Jackson in preparation for his King Kong remake. When she was interviewed in 2000 for a Broadway Legends documentary. Doris Day again rarely leaves her home in Carmel. I rarely hear anything about her, although occasionally she goes to Washington on animal rights issues. Celeste Holm seems to be doing fine, although she has some vocal problems. She was talking with Robert Osbourne at an Oscar party, so maybe she will be a Private Screeings guest soon. Jennifer Jones is another actress who avoids interviews. She has never liked them, and I doubt she would be a guest. I'd love to see Arlene Dahl, Cliff Robertson, Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis, Colleen Gray, and Audrey Totter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosinryanz Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Mitzi Gaynor - She has retired to care for her ill husband. Deanna Durbin - I'd love to see her, but she talks to no one except her fans. Gloria Dehaven has been traveling on the lecture circuit, so maybe she'll find her way to TCM. Deborah Kerr - Although she has Parkinsons, an audio recording would be great, MovieJoe. Anita Page - she is still giving lectures, so I hope she could come to TCM. Geraldine Fitzgerald - she has alzheimers, so an interview is out of the question. I think a great show could have Robert Osborne going to the motion picture county home to interview everyone there that is interested. A lot of old timers from the studios are their living out their last days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosinryanz Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Here is a list of stars who have previousely appeared on Private Screenings. "Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell" - 1996 Robert Mitchum .... Himself Jane Russell .... Herself "Esther Williams" - 1996 Esther Williams .... Herself "Mickey Rooney" - 1997 Mickey Rooney .... Himself "Charlton Heston" - 1998 Charlton Heston .... Himself "Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau" - 1998 Jack Lemmon .... Himself Walter Matthau .... Himself "June Allyson" - 30 June 1998 June Allyson .... Herself "Tony Curtis" - 1999 Tony Curtis .... Himself "Leslie Caron" - 1999 Leslie Caron .... Herself "Anthony Quinn" - 1999 Anthony Quinn .... Himself "Rod Steiger" - 2000 Rod Steiger .... Himself "Betty Hutton" - 2000 Betty Hutton .... Herself "James Garner" - 2 August 2001 James Garner .... Himself "Debbie Reynolds" - 25 September 2002 Debbie Reynolds .... Herself "Shirley MacLaine" - 4 November 2003 Shirley MacLaine .... Herself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 And don't forget Nina Foch who has been around Hollywood for a long time and worked with quite a few stars especially in "Executive Suite". I don't believe De Havilland likes to be interviewed due to the eventual sister question which I'm sure Fontaine feels the same way about. Jennifer Jones most likely wants to ignore any questions regarding her ex-husband Robert Walker. It was a lousy thing she did to him with that O'Selznick. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansi4 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 rosinryanz thanks for that wealth of information. Only 16 stars have been interviewed since 1996? ugh. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flickerknickers Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Maybe I missed it, but has anyone mentioned Shirley Temple? It would be so very fabulous if both Shirley and Jennifer Jones would be interviewed for a dreamed of DVD edition of "Since You Went Away." The stories they could tell, especially about working with Claudette Colbert as their glamorous mom. As for poor Fay Wray, that gal is lucky to be alive these days. Imagine what she had to go through in her movie career. She was chased all over that horrible island by a German madman in "The Most Dangerous Game." "Doctor X" nearly snuffed out her life with his 'synthetic flesh' mode of murder. A hideously deformed sculptor almost cremated her in boiling wax. And that damned little monkey carried her all over the isle of Manhattan while she sreamed her lungs out. Whew! I'd a been long gone and buried after all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Great additions guys--especially the Nina Foch and Shirley Temple suggestions. How about Virginia Grey and Ruth Hussey and Ann Rutherford? They're all still on earth and given the spot that TCM runs of Ms Grey's slightly jaundiced view of "The Women" --full of ginger. Ruth Hussey was in everything from "The Philadelphia Story" , "The Uninvited" and even the 1937 version of "Madam X". And Ann Rutherford of course was in the Andy Hardy pics and a little movie called "Gone With the Wind. Ooh, the stories these ladies could tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 moirafinnie, I agree with you. I also mentioned Ruth Hussey and Ann Rutherford as great interview candidates. It seems they're almost forgotten these days, and yet they are HUGE links to Hollywood's Golden Age. I was lucky enough to meet Ann Rutherford once, and she was a spunky, sweet, and charming lady, who enjoyed talking about her career and co-stars. She even spoke highly of TCM, so I'm sure she'd do an interview. And what about Evelyn Keyes? I don't think she was suggested yet, and as far as I know she's still alive, and she too has stories about "GWTW" as well as another favorite of mine "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" with Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains. And what about Teresa Wright? She lives in Connecticut, and as far as I know she's still doing well, and having worked with Hitchcock, Bette Davis, and in "The Best Years of Our Lives" as well as other films, I'm sure she'd have some great stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moviejoe79 Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I'd also love to see a round up of the last remaining Little Rascals, since I know there's a few left, including Jackie Cooper. That would make for a fascinating interview - all of them talking about the old Hal Roach days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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