In search of...Virginia Weidler

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY was a chore rather than a joy. First, one of the actors is someone I know came up before, so I had to backtrack to be sure he wasn't somehow on IMDb under two different birthdates. Plus we have a potential misidentification, but I'll let you be the judge.

 

Before I start, though, I want to mention two people who aren't TIGs. First, will someone explain to me how Ginny spent six years at MGM and never worked with Lionel Barrymore? It just seems odd to me.

 

Next, we talked about Connie Marshall at the VWRS earlier this month when I saw her in KILL THE UMPIRE. Today is also Miss Marshall's birthday.

 

Now to the actual TIG.

 

Eric Mayne (1865) had two small roles in Ginny films, playing a member of the court in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO and an extra at the party in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. Mayne was known for his Shakepearean roles on the stage and was a fairly popular silent screen actor. In fact, after he stopped acting he taught Shakepeare at Los Angeles University College. He's seen here as Don Diego in the Mabel Normand film, SUSANNA.

 

Ralph Fitzsimmons (1876) was a general in STAMBOUL QUEST. He is listed as having been born in Romania. He had six small roles between 1913 and 1938 and I found no photo. A Myrna Loy photo from that film is always a good thing, though.

 

Now for the troublemakers. I could swear we've already discussed Bryant Washburn (1889), so I spent a long time trying to find out if he was listed somewhere else on IMDb with a different birthdate or something. Apparently, he came up at the VWRS based on a newspaper clipping. He was the crooked dealer at Oakhurst's place on the night Luck was born in THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT and Reed's director in BABES ON BROADWAY. Washburn was in 369 films between 1911 and 1947. He didn't get locked into a type, playing bankers and chauffeurs and even a 'John' in a 1938 exploitation film.

 

I don't think Morgan Roberts (1912) actually belongs here. He's listed as Medicine Man in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. I already saluted William Broadus for that role previously. IMDb listed three separate uncredited Medicine Men for that film. The reason I don't recognize Roberts' claim is that it's listed as his first role and then there is a 15 year gap before the next one. I suspect someone misidentified him when watching the film and added him to the cast list. He became a popular character actor later in life, appearing with Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones in the 1970s and '80s. Since Loy was also in THTH and I'm unsure of this one, the same Loy photo covers Roberts as well.

 

[ginnyfan]

Here's Danny Miller's final thoughts on his time at the TCM Film Festival. If you want to read his non-Ginny stuff you can find him regularly at MSN.

 

"Coming down from my TCM Festival high (it ended last night), I thought I'd post this photo I found in a magazine recently since I don't think I've seen it before. The caption reads: "Virginia Weidler opens a charge account for a favored customer, Buck, the giant St. Bernard of 'Call of the Wild' fame. Virginia got salvos of cheers for her work in 'Girl of the Ozarks." Now she's a full fledged star with a nice seven year contract." (I didn't realize the term "charge account" was used in the 30s!) As a member of the VWRS, I have to say it was very poignant for me to be face-to-face with Ginny's contemporaries such as Mickey Rooney, Jane Withers, and Ann Blyth this weekend. I kept thinking that she should be there screening some of her great movies and sharing fascinating stories about her experiences while being interviewed by her big fan, Robert Osborne. I can imagine what she would have been like at 86 and wish she could have been part of that Withers/Blyth lunch group."

 

 

I owe Danny an unmeasurable amount of gratitude for these reports and the fact that he managed to squeeze many of our questions in during his regular work.

[ginnyfan]

We have a small and almost on time TIG today.

 

John Smirch (1895) represents a first for TODAY IN GINNY. I'm pretty sure he's the first mike grip to be honored. He was a mike grip for his entire career, once or twice being listed as a boom grip (which is still a mike grip, isn't it?) He plied his trade on THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 and we have one of the lobby posters to represent.

 

Actor Richard Carlson (1912) was still in the very early stages of a solid career when he played Miranda's brother Jeff Sommerfield in THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA. Here we see him loudly protesting maid Martha's tell-all book about the neighborhood, that most everyone else doesn't know Martha wrote. As I've joked before, it's kind of an all-white version of THE HELP. Ginny's Miranda proclaimed "It's A Filibuster!" just before this shot. He's best known today for sci-fi like THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, but he was also the star of two TV series. He was undercover as a communist in I LED 3 LIVES and was Col. Ranald Mackenzie of MACKENZIE'S RAIDERS. In an oddity, he played Mike Connor in the 1954 TV version of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.

 

Here's the fascinating cast for that production (for the series, BEST OF BROADWAY):

 

Mary Astor ... Margaret Lord

Richard Carlson ... Mike Connor

Dick Foran ... George Kittredge

Herbert Marshall ... Seth Lord

Dorothy McGuire ... Tracy Lord

Neva Patterson ... Liz Imbrie

John Payne ... C.K. Dexter Haven

Charles Winninger ... Uncle Willie

 

It's a cast I certainly can picture in my mind.

 

No one is listed as playing Dinah, I hope the role wasn't cut.

 

*Update: We later found out that Jane Sutherland played Dinah in that version.*

 

[ginnyfan]

Finally, TODAY IN GINNY.

 

Dick Elliott (1886) is really, truly one of the most "that guy"-ish of all the "that guys". You know him, anytime a film needed a blustering fat guy, Dick Elliott was there. He appeared in two Ginny films, the first being as Stumpy Carter in THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT. His role as the cop on the left in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT was a rarity not because he was blustering and rather dim, but because he was blustering, dim, and NOT the guy in charge. The other cop is the Sergeant. You probably know him best for his final role. He was the Mayor of Mayberry, Mayor Jefferson Pike, during the first two seasons of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. The role ended with Elliott's death in late 1961. He was, of course, replaced with another of the "that guys", Parley Baer as Mayor Stoner.

 

Hooper Atchley (1887) managed to appear in 214 films in just twelve years. You only accomplish that by proving you'll showup, hit your mark, and get out of the way. Atchley couldn't have amassed this sort of record without a Ginny film or two..or three! He's at far right as a masquerade judge in THIS TIME FOR KEEPS. He also appeared as a Turkish Colonel in STAMBOUL QUEST and a Captured Contact in AFTER TONIGHT, both spy yarns with Ginny in small cameos. I always wonder if Ginny actually knew she had worked with these guys before.

 

Pretty Carol Holloway (1892) had been a bit of a silent star. She was known as one of the biggest screen serial queens of the 1910s. By her time in the Weidler Stock Company, she was playing smaller character roles. She played a townswoman in MAID OF SALEM and Sadie in SCANDAL STREET.

 

Joe Yule (1894) was an Scottish born comedian who worked vaudeville and burlesque. He and his wife Nell broke up when Joe Jr. was only three and Nell took Jr. to Hollywood. Years later and down on his luck, Yule was reunited with Jr. as he found work at MGM, the studio where Jr.-now called Mickey Rooney-was one of the biggest stars. Yule was able to do small parts in Hollywood from 1939 until his death in 1950. He played Mason in BABES ON BROADWAY and IMDb says he was "Little Butch" in I'LL WAIT FOR YOU, but I just scanned that film and didn't find him. Either he was cut out or I was hasty in my review of the film.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY we spent most of the day posting items about Deanna Durbin on the [VWRS|https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaWeidlerRemembranceSociety] Facebook page. Feel free to check it out.

 

Before I start TIG I must note that in an odd coincidence toady is the birthday of Henry Koster, director of several Deanna Durbin films.

 

First up, we have screenwriter Francis Martin (1900). Martin was on the team writing both THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 and of 1937. Martin didn't write any award winners, but he did write the W.C. Fields comedy TILLIE AND GUS which featured Baby Leroy as "The King". He also wrote MISSISSIPPI featuring Fields and Bing Crosby. I have no photo of Martin and only one photo of Ginny in those two films, so I'm going to skip it tonight.

 

Ralph Bushman (1903) was the son of Francis X. Bushman and was nowhere near as successful. He actually spent the greater portion of his life going by Francis X. Bushman Jr. professionally. Using his own name, Ralph was one of the legions of Newsreel men in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. He was Man with Nitroglycerine in BOOM TOWN which I guess is how the town got its name.

 

We have a new TIG brother connection. Ralph Freed (1907) is the brother of MGM's musical guru Arthur Freed. Ralph wrote "How About You?", "Anything Can Happen in New York", and "Hoe Down", all of which were played in BABES ON BROADWAY. "How About You?" was also played in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION. He also wrote "Lesson in Latin", which was performed during the night club scene in I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. He's listed on IMDb as "Composer, THE FISHER KING". He could have been listed as "Composer, THE MUPPET SHOW" which I would prefer if they aren't going to list a film made during his life. IMDb is a necessary evil, unfortunately. As a side note, he also wrote songs for THIS TIME FOR KEEPS, but it was the unrelated 1947 film and not Ginny's. One of these days I'm going to get tripped up on that one, but NOT TODAY.

 

I now wish to induct two honorary TIGs. Both these actors went into a film believing that they were becoming TIG eligible, only to be cheated out of it by the cruel execs at MGM.

 

First, Irish born Tom Moore (1883) appeared in 191 films and TV shows from 1912 to 1954. He played everything from doctors and judges to bartenders, so he was not limited by type. His most interesting film might have been a 1918 short STAKE UNCLE SAM TO PLAY YOUR HAND. IMDb describes the film as, "The Kaiser is playing cards with King Albert of Italy, who loses, but is rescued by Miss Liberty Loan." Anyway, old Tom signed to play Major O'Rook in TROUBLE FOR TWO (1936), no doubt after hearing that Ginny and David Holt had been loaned by Paramount to MGM to play Rosalind Russell and Robert Montgomery as children. Tom knew he was destined for TIGdom. Imagine his dismay when he saw the final product, no Ginny, no David, no TIG. Since the film was certainly a Ginny film at the time of shooting, I've decided to count him. I'm sure his descendants will be pleased.

 

Next, John Butler (1884) has an equally cruel story. His hopes for TIGdom were dashed twice. First, MGM told him to report for work playing a mechanic on "the Edison picture". Thrilled to be working with Ginny as Tannie, it is rumored* he signed for far less than his usual fee. He was heartbroken to arrive on the set and be greeted by Spencer Tracy.

 

The following year Butler signed to play a fish store owner in what was described to him as "that big budget Weidler feature". He shows up for the scene and guess who pedals up on her bike. Hint: It isn't Ginny. I welcome him to TIG as well.

 

*- I may have started that rumor.

 

[ginnyfan]

We have a slew of legitimate TIGs TODAY IN GINNY!

 

Otto Hoffman (1879) played a stage doorman in BORN TO SING. I wonder if someone at MGM saw him as a stage doorman in BALL OF FIRE, his film immediately prior to BTS, and exclaimed, "We need a stage doorman! Get me THAT GUY!" (Quick cut to train tracks in upstate New York-and if you get the reference, let me know.) Hoffman's career ran from 1915 to his death in 1944. He played printers, clock makers, editors and even yet another stage doorman in his career. The photo is from THE MUMMY'S TOMB.

 

Hedda Hopper (1885) would have been an honorary TIG for the positive way in which she presented Virginia to the public in her column. I have yet to find a columnist at the time who was negative on Ginny, in part because she was a little girl and mostly, I'm sure, because there wasn't anything not to like about her. I'll have to research to find out if brother George came in for some rough treatment in the late forties, though. Hedda makes to list for real because she played Dolly Dupuyster in THE WOMEN. I was shocked to discover she actually played 141 roles in her on-screen career.

 

Vernon L. Walker (1894) was responsible for special effects on both FIXER DUGAN and MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS. I wonder what the special effects were on MCC; did he make the chickens fly or something? He also worked on NOTORIOUS, SUSPICION, and CITIZEN KANE, so his career only suffered slightly after ending his professional relationship with Virginia.

 

Some whistling guy named Harry Lillis Crosby (1903) shows up next. He was in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 playing "Bing". He also was in that photo with Ginny in boxing gloves, Ra "Ronald Sinclair" Hould in a sailor suit, and Norman Taurog in a pith helmet. Bing chose the cowboy hat. Ginny later was heard on his radio show in the early 1940s in an episode in which they had a date (eww!). The photo is with another favorite, Gloria Jean.

 

J. Anthony Hughes (1904) had a career that ran on and off from the mid 1930s to the early 1960s. There is a seven year gap in the mid to late forties indicating either a hole in his career or a hole in the recordkeeping. He continued to work, with out any real distinction, in the early years of television. He played the costume party bartender in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT.

 

Finally, William Bakewell (1908) got started in the business in the mid 1920s. He scored a fairly strong role in ALL'S QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT in 1930 and worked regularly, primarily in "B's" throughout the decade. He was a mounted officer in GONE WITH THE WIND. In his sixties he played a baker in an episode of ALIAS SMITH AND JONES. I'll have to be on the lookout for him. He played Robert Pryor in LADDIE.

 

[ginnyfan]

Once again today a TIGer gets cheated out of a photo.

 

Walter DeLeon (1884) was yet another screenwriter on THE BIG BROADCAST series. I found no photo and I've posted every poster, which is what you do with posters, so Walter goes photoless. Walter also worked on COLLEGIATE, COLLEGE HOLIDAY, COLLEGE RHYTHM, RED HOT RHYTHM, and RUGGLES OF RED GAP. See what I did there without even mentioning COLLEGE SWING and SWING HIGH, SWING LOW? Walter even flexed his writing muscles into more serious fare, like UNION PACIFIC and THE MAN WHO TALKED TOO MUCH. Prior to the movies, Walter had a vaudeville comedy act with his wife Mary. Mary worked professionally as Muggins Davies.

 

Actress Marion Sheldon (1885) only made nine films and all the roles were uncredited. Her final film was as a train passenger in YOUNG TOM EDISON. The photo is of her appearance as a specialty dancer in AFTER THE THIN MAN. I wish I had a photo of her as a Balkan Steerage Woman in WHOM THE GODS DESTROY.

 

Beulah Bondi (1889) is one of two big TIGs today. Bondi is one of my favorite character actresses. She could play kind, haughty, catty. She wasn't a type. She played the stern camp director Miss Thornton, who has her steely heart melted by Pip-Emma in THE UNDER-PUP. You certainly know her as Ma Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, a role in which she got to show two of the types she could play. I really liked her first role as a gossiping neighbor in STREET SCENE. I also remember her playing the tough matriarch in an episode of ROUTE 66.

 

Hugo Friedhofer (1901) was orchestral arranger and composer for ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO and PETER IBBETSON. He won an Oscar for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES and was nominated eight other times, including twice in 1958. The photo is of him appearing on an LA game show, BEAT THE GENIUS.

 

Leni Lynn (1923) is one of the many talented girls MGM hired and trained from scratch to be in the movies. Unfortunately, they didn't put her in many. A singer by trade, Leni only made five films at MGM in 1939 and 1940 before moving on to making films in England with greater success. She played Edith's oldest daughter in THE WOMEN.

 

Finally, Robert Osborne (1932) has been the face of TCM since it started operations and has stated his affinity for Virginia Weidler, which is good enough for ginnyfan. He is seen here practicing for the day he presents Virginia's representative with her lifetime achievement Oscar.

 

[ginnyfan]

Here's the first dose of TODAY IN GINNY. It's the one for...yesterday!

 

Scottish stage actor Norman Ainsley (1881) had a nice little career in 1930's and 40's Hollywood. Some butler, some clerk, some clergy, even two immigration officials. He played a ticket taker in SOULS AT SEA. I wonder if Ginny got half fare?

 

Earl Pingree (1887) had a short career of only eight years and 25 parts. He seemed to specialize in policeman, but broke out to play a brakeman in MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH.

 

Edgar Deering (1893) had a very long career of uncredited specialty parts. He has 342 roles posted to IMDb and I counted 42 times he played a motorcycle cop! I didn't count the times he was listed as traffic cop or cop writing ticket or cop at roadblock even though a motorcycle could have been involved in some of them. He got to travel like a regular person when he played Det. 'Pinch' Reardon in LOVE IS A HEADACHE, but was back on the two-wheeler for THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA. He's seen here coming to the realization that Allyn Joslyn didn't kidnap Martha after all.

 

Robert Odell (1896) was the art director for three Ginny films, MRS. WIGGS, TIMOTHY'S QUEST, and MEN WITH WINGS. He was known for his exacting period research. A French poster for MEN WITH WINGS featuring Mlle. Weidler will work for him.

 

I'm unsure that actor James Ellison (1910) actually belongs here. James had a good career as a leading man in westerns and some B pictures going on when he suddenly appears on IMDb with an uncredited appearance as a cadet in BEST FOOT FORWARD at age 33. This comes right after his starring role in I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE. I suspect ours might have been a different James Ellison, but I'll post his autographed picture anyway.

 

Screenwriter Hugo Butler (1914) co-wrote two Ginny films, YOUNG TOM EDISON and BARNACLE BILL. He also worked on EDISON, THE MAN, garnering an Oscar nomination. He and his screenwriter wife, Jean Rouverol, both fled to Mexico after Butler was blacklisted. HE RAN ALL THE WAY, possibly his best work in collaboration with Dalton Trumbo, was produced under the pseudonym of Guy Endore. Butler's wife later published a book of her journal from their exile.

 

[ginnyfan]

It's deja vu! Or maybe it's just that I think I've done this before!

 

TODAY IN GINNY!

 

Scowling villain Harry Woods (1889) had 256 roles in his career, ending with TV's LAWMAN in 1961. He made a lot of westerns, but still ventured out into roles in films like THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON, and BEAU GESTE. He played Baker in MEN WITH WINGS.

 

Buddy Williams (1896) played a lot of porters, as African American actor of his era had to do. His most varied role was as Chief Bosuto in ROUND-UP TIME IN TEXAS, a Gene Autry film which is set, oddly, in South Africa. IMDb claims he played Hansel in Baby Peggy's version of HANSEL AND GRETEL, but I'm quite sure that was another Buddy Williams. He was the porter helping Ann Rutherford with her bags in THIS TIME FOR KEEPS.

 

Radio star Freeman Gosden (1899) played his most famous character, Amos Jones, in THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936. Here we see Mr. Gosden out of makeup looking, to me, a little like Robert Wilke.

 

Charles Chaplin Jr. (1925) is the son of The Tramp. He was also a friend of the Krisel brothers and an alleged beau of Virginia's in the mid-1940s. In two photos from the same shoot, you see Mr. Chaplin as himself and as his father's famous character. In an odd coincidence, Chaplin would die of a blood clot in 1968 just three months prior to Ginny's death.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY is a little different because I found no pictures I could guarantee were the actors and technicians in several cases, so I bagged it in favor of one photo.

 

Actor Edward Clark (1878) was a jack-of-all-trades. He wrote music such as "Heart of my Heart" and "Pastafazoola", wrote Broadway scores, was a contract screenwriter, ran an acting school, and still found time to act in 155 films. He was in silents like THE IRON HAND and stuck around long enough to be in BEDTIME FOR BONZO. He's listed as cabbage patch character in MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH.

 

Cinematographer Lucien Ballard (1904) worked from 1930 to 1985. He became best known for his work with Sam Peckinpah, but is less remember for his work with Virginia Weidler on OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. Showing that his life wasn't all roses, he was also the cinematographer for RABBIT TEST (1978).

 

Helen Conway (1907) was an actress who gave it up to be a set decorator at MGM in 1943-44. One of her seven credits in that role was as associate set decorator for THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION.

 

June Gittelson (1910) had 95 titles over twenty years. It seems her specialty was being fat. Most of her roles indicate this in their description. One that doesn't is her role in THE WOMEN where she was given the name Mrs. Goldstein.

 

I've chosen to let the Wiggs Family represent all of these TIGers.

 

And, finally, if you haven't looked at my thread on the birthday of poor Caryll Ann Ekelund, please do.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY is a short one.

 

First, writer John Meehan (1890) specialized in additional scenes and dialogue. He's best known for the screenplays of BOYS TOWN and the 1944 version of KISMET, but most of his work seems to have been of the "fixing" or "sweetening" variety. He wrote additional scenes for PETER IBBETSON and I'm letting the lovely Mimsey stand in for him.

 

Actor Lester Dorr (1893) played Reed's writer in the movie all good members of the VWRS just saw, BABES ON BROADWAY. I don't have any screen captures yet so here's a photo of Dorr in WHISPERING SMITH.

 

[ginnyfan]

TODAY IN GINNY is the second shortest list possible.

 

I've got one.

 

Actor Dick Baron (1818) has a total of 12 uncredited credits. Butch in BABES ON BROADWAY was his first. A jockey on DECEMBER BRIDE was his last. In between he played newsboys, copyboys and a guy named Droop in a Henry Aldrich movie. He was still playing teens after he hit thirty.

 

I found no picture and I haven't run off BoB to DVD so I can do screen captures. Instead, let's have a hoedown! (gf)

 

[ginnyfan]

It's a major TODAY IN GINNY!

 

Character actor Thurston Hall (1882) is the only member of TIG to have a building on a university campus name after him. OK, that's not actually true, but there is a Thurston Hall at the George Washington University. Hall toured the world on stage before settling in Hollywood. He made 262 appearances between 1915 (an Earl) and 1958 (a judge on MAVERICK) and usually played the exasperated boss. He's probably best remembered as Mr. Schuyler on the TV version of TOPPER. He played H.R. Bruxton in OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS and Mr. Drew in THE YOUNGEST PROFESSION.

 

Composer Max Steiner (1888) won three Oscars, but none of them were for his work on LADDIE or FRECKLES. I'm sure if the films were available, though, we'd all be humming the haunting "Love Theme From FRECKLES" each and every day just like ginnyfan does with the PATTON MARCH (not by Steiner). Everyone remembers TOP HAT, CASABLANCA, and GONE WITH THE WIND, but Max also worked on NANCY DREW, DETECTIVE and many other regular weekly releases. A lot of his music was later used on WB western and detective series.

 

Austrian born director William or Wilhelm Thiele (1890) had a major career in Europe and a middling one here. Being ginnyfan I would argue that BAD LITTLE ANGEL is a tiny gem that shows what he could have done on a larger scale. Maybe that films like ANGEL didn't look enough like MGM's regular product actually hurt him, I don't know. Thiele moved from genre to genre in Hollywood, making family comedies, mysteries, and lots of jungle films. In the 1950s, he directed many episodes of THE LONE RANGER. He also directed episodes of the CAVALCADE OF AMERICA, sponsored by DuPont. Thiele had directed THE DUPONT STORY several years earlier, which may or may not have been coincidental. Here we see Ginny memorizing her script changes for that day's shooting on ANGEL.

 

Earl Askam (1891) played a cop in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS, a film Ginny made on loan to Columbia in 1939. He was probably most seen in FLASH GORDON, but the photo is of Earl (on right) with John Arthur in THE DESERT SONG (1929). Interestingly, IMDb fails to list Askam as being in that cast. Since IMDb only lists two uncredited cast members, I'm guessing its list is incomplete.

 

Harvey Johnston (1901) was the editor of GIRL OF THE OZARKS. It's the first credit shown for him. One of his 8 credits was an early effort of fellow TIGer Marsha Hunt called HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. We'll use a shot of Edie Moseley and friends to represent him.

 

Anatole Litvak (1902) was a very successful director. SORRY, WRONG NUMBER, THE SNAKE PIT, DECISION BEFORE DAWN, and TOVARICH are all his. Also his was ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO, a big budget WB feature staring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer. This film was another loanout, both Paramount and MGM loaned Ginny out regularly although MGM stopped the practice after this film. Rumors were rampant at that time that Warners tried to get Ginny out of her MGM deal to come to WB full time. In the photo, Litvak sets up the theatre box close ups.

 

Nancy Walker (1922) came to Hollywood with several members of the Broadway cast of BEST FOOT FORWARD. She reenacted her stage role of Blind Date in the film. The back of this studio publicity photo mentions that she was also working on GIRL CRAZY at just about the same time. She would, of course, become a regular on our TV screens in the 1970s through her series and commercials.

 

[ginnyfan]

Most people aren't up yet, so it's still Saturday!

 

A short TIG today.

 

Dick Curtis (1902) played heavies at Columbia. He played heavies in oaters, heavies in crime films, heavies in comedies. It's amazing how often the word "Henchman" appears in from of his character's name. Occasionally, he'd cross everyone up and show up as a sheriff or a guard. He played Flint, probably a con, in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS.

 

Kent Taylor (1907) was a handsome B-movie leading man. He played Doc Holiday in TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE and Bob Dalton in THE DALTONS RIDE AGAIN. His Ginny connection was that he played Bob Redding in MRS. WIGGS. He's probably best known for being the TV's Boston ****, which leads to a ginnyfan admission.

 

I never got the Jimmy Buffett line, "Wish I had a pencil thin mustache/the Boston **** kind" because to me Chester Morris was Boston **** and he didn't have a mustache.

 

It took me years figure out Buffett was singing about Kent Taylor.

 

[ginnyfan]

Child actress Virginia Weidler had a mom, a few on-screen "moms", and a lot of surrogate on-screen "moms". We salute them all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ginnyfan]

I'm going to get TIG in just under the wire.

 

First we have Lionel Belmore (1867). A British actor, Belmore made 179 films between 1914 and 1945. He was in both FRANKENSTEIN and SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY and THOROUGHBREDS DON'T CRY. He played a tavern keeper in MAID OF SALEM.

 

Al Shean (1868) ended a long career on the stage by taking character movie roles in the last decade or so of his life. Uncle to the Marx Brothers, he was famous while they were struggling and then they were famous after he faded. The only thing I remember about his film career is that he got to reenact his famous Mr. Gallagher/Mr. Shean routine with Charles Winninger taking the Gallagher part in ZIEGFELD GIRL. He played himself in his final film ATLANTIC CITY (1944) with Jack Kenney playing Gallagher. Here we see him being photographed with the second best Lydia singer of all time. I understand that Virginia was unavailable for the photo shoot.

 

James P. Burtis (1893) played a lot of policemen and heavies in a decade long career. He played Mr. Miller in SCANDAL STREET and played a reporter in MEN WITH WINGS.

 

Silent star Cleo Ridgely (1893) had retired but came back around 1940 to take small uncredited roles. She's listed as having appeared in BORN TO SING, but IMDb doesn't identify the role.

 

Katharine Hepburn (1907) struck gold for herself and for Ginny when Ginny was cast to play her sister in the movie of her hit play, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. With that lineup, the film would have been successful regardless of Virginia's presence, but Hepburn always heaped praise on Virginia for the spark she added through her portrayal of little sister Dinah. I'm not going over the long list of wonderful roles and movies, you probably know them and have your favorites.

 

Child actress Marilyn Knowlden (1926) played Marianna Van Horn in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO. IMDb also indicated that she played Virginia's character Patricia at age 18 in MEN WITH WINGS. That's quite a feat since Marilyn was only 12 at the time, one year older than Ginny. Marilyn left the movies, but never the business. She's written plays including a musical about getting into the movies based loosely on her own experiences. She wrote an autobiography a few years ago and has a website, http://marilynknowlden.com/.

 

Finally, it's Baby Leroy's (1932) birthday! The youngster was a studiomate of Virginia's and they took photos together, but his career in movie was pretty much over as Ginny's began. Here we see him showing that he, too, could have played Dinah Lord.

 

[ginnyfan]

It's a quick TODAY IN GINNY as we have but two birthdays to celebrate-it's just as well since the Baby Leroy birthday hangover will last for days!

 

Cinematographer Henry Sharp (1892) would probably be best remember for his work in the silent era, what experts say was his best work, if we tended to remember silent films. His work on DON Q, SON OF ZORRO and THE BLACK PIRATE for Douglas Fairbanks are often noted. In the talkie era, he was the cinematographer on DUCK SOUP. He was Ginny's cinematographer, I hope he got her good side, on SCANDAL STREET. The title card for the movie will have to do since I have very little material from that film and I posted a photo of a Marx Brother yesterday.

 

Designer Edward Stevenson (1906) was a very respected wardrober. I saw a article today in which the author made the point that the wardrobe choices combined with the shot selection for a given scene can result in the viewer receiving all the information needed without a word of dialogue being spoken. So I guess it's good to have a cinematographer and a costumer together today. Stevenson shared an Oscar with Edith Head for THE FACTS OF LIFE. This was during the period in which he worked exclusively for Lucille Ball. Stevenson is responsible for both her elegant gowns as well as some of the craziest costumes ever seen on television. Stevenson was credited with "Gowns" on MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS, a movie title I wouldn't automatically associate with gowns. In the photo, he is on the right.

 

[ginnyfan]

It's a tough TIG today in that I didn't find pictures of many of our honorees. As a result, we're going to do some guess work today.

 

Character actor Arthur Belasco (1888) played all sorts of roles in a 44 credit career. I like that he played a bearded lady in WILD MAN OF BORNEO. I had a tough time picking him out of YOUNG TOM EDISON because he played a telegrapher and there were several. The Port Huron one had a name, so he was let out. I recognize Olin Howland, so that one was let out. I had two to go and I picked this one because Belasco was also cast as "fat man" several times and this guy seems more portly than the other. I apologize if I get this wrong.

 

 

Art Lane (1901) was the assistant cameraman on THE BIG BROADCAST of 1936. He only has seven listed credits, I have to think the record is incomplete, and the most famous was probably WINGS in 1927. BB36 was his final credit. No photo was found.

 

 

James Flavin (1906) had a career of over 45 years and 494 titles. Her played a lot of cops, bartenders and was a regular on the TV series THE ROARING '20s in the early 1960s. He wrapped up his career by playing President Eisenhower in a TV film on the Francis Gary Powers case. He entered into Ginnyworld twice, playing a young reporter in TOO HOT TO oHANDLE and, what else, a cop in BORN TO SING.

 

 

Susanne Ransom (1925) was a child actress with only four credits. Her fourth came after a six year "retirement" when she played Dora Vanderbilt in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO. I did a quick scan of the film this morning and I'm not sure which girl in the class she is. I'm taking the chance that she's one of the two girls seen here with the delightfully evil Ann Gillis. If someone knows for sure which school girl she is, please comment .

 

 

Finally, a TIG repeat. Two days ago, we honored Marilyn Knowlden on her birthday. During the scan I clearly found her in ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO, so here she is.

 

 

[ginnyfan]

As we start TODAY IN GINNY, I'd like to point out that Omar Khayyam was born on this date in 1048. And he hates that I'm telling you that because he invented his own calendar and is pretty ticked that we don't use it.

First up, Leonid Snegoff (1883) was born in Russia, came to America, got into the movies, and played...Russians. Who knew? He sometimes played Arabs and stretched out to play Pvt. Muller in AFTER TONIGHT. He ended up being the patriarch of an acting family as his son and two grandsons went into the movie biz. An AT poster represents.



BIG NEWS! We have a new leader in the clubhouse. Lee Phelps (1893) appeared in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7...8 Weidler films! He was a photographer in MEN WITH WINGS, a police dispatcher in the LONE WOLF SPY HUNT, A hammer game barker (see photo) in FIXER DUGAN, a fireman in BAD LITTLE ANGEL, Train Engineer Miller in YOUNG TOM EDISON, man outside general store in GOLD RUSH MAISIE, bartender in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY and Mr. Porter in BORN TO SING. He played 635 other parts in Hollywood from 1917 to 1953. That's around 17 films per year, every year for 37 years. Just a really quick glance shows me that he also appeared with Norma Shearer, our friend Gloria Jean, the immortal Garbo, and, in his final film, the ex-Mr. Shirley Temple. And I would have liked him just because his birth name was Napoleon Bonaparte Kukuck. BTW, I found two extra Ginny films while typing this.


William Searby (1901) is quite upset that he has to follow that, but can take solace in the fact that it only takes one to be a TIGer. In his final role in Hollywood, he played Steve in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. He could then retire after meeting his goal of being in a Virginia Weidler film. In an odd note, all of his other 34 roles were in shorts. An OTW poster serves for him.


Blair Davies (1914) is a TIGer by relative. He was the radio announcer in the Weidler Brothers' Our Gang short THE PINCH SINGER. So here's that photo of Warner, Walter, and George one more time.

[TopBilled]

ginnyfan,

 

I would like to make a special request of you, if that is okay...? In the Create Your Own SUTS Lineup thread, I have announced plans for TopBilled's Summer Under the Stars. It will kick off on June 21st (the first official day of summer) and run through July 31st, up to TCM's event which starts the next day. I have selected 41 stars that I will be honoring on a blog and posting on this forum.

 

Virginia Weidler is scheduled for the fifth day, on June 25th. I would like to invite you to be my guest programmer and select ten to twelve films that you feel really define her motion picture career and show off her considerable talents. You are not limited to just her MGM titles. I would like to see what you come up with, because I am not the expert about her career that you are!

[ginnyfan]

TB,

 

I accept the challenge and thank you for it.

 

Edited by: ginnyfan on May 16, 2013 8:57 PM because the older I get the worse my spelling is...

[TopBilled]

>I accept the challange and thank you for it.

 

Wonderful! You have a month to compose your list, with reasons why you selected specific titles. You seem to have an unending supply of photos for her films, so I am eager to see what you will come up with!

[ginnyfan]

It's a short TODAY IN GINNY.

 

Julius Tannen (1880) had a reputation for being a monologist more than a film actor. Still, he found time to appear in 56 films from 1935-1959. His last role was as a horseshoe cleaning man in LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL, a film I enjoyed when I saw it. He played Mr. Hillier in Ginny's first team up with Mickey Rooney, LOVE IS A HEADACHE, a film made before MGM decided that titles should tell patrons something about the film they're about to see apparently.

 

Florence Wix (1883) played Miss Strawbridge in OUTSIDE THESE WALLS. Wix was a professional guest. Most of her roles are listed as party guest, restaurant guest, guest in dining room, hotel guest...you get the idea. She managed to get invited 151 times. Another movie poster from OTW represents her.

 

[TopBilled]

I am not familiar with OUTSIDE THESE WALLS.

[ginnyfan]

I am not familiar with OUTSIDE THESE WALLS.

 

I'm not either. It's a Columbia release and, based on the timing, I suspect that Ginny was sent there on a two film loaner by MGM. The other was THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT which, as you know, does get seen on TCM from time to time.

 

IMDb doesn't have a review. It looks like Ginny plays Michael Whelan's daughter.

 

I wonder where this film is?