Golden age: Roll call

[MCannady1]

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Ethel Barrymore was one of America’s leading stage actresses. A New York theatre named in her honor proves it. She went to Hollywood in the early 1930s and made a motion picture with her brothers John and Lionel called RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS. Of course, she played the Empress in that production. But she would soon return to the stage where she was a real star. By the mid-1940s, producer David Selznick had lured her back to the movie capital, signing the highly regarded actress to a long-term contract. He persuaded her to give films another chance, and lucky for us she did. She soon earned an Oscar as Cary Grant’s mother in NONE BUT THE LONELY HEART. There were additional supporting roles in the 1940s that brought with them more Oscar nominations. She was quickly typecast as the elderly invalid, which she played to great effect in THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, PINKY and KIND LADY, where she has a lead role. In the 1950s, she still took on movie parts, but she also appeared on television. Near the end of her life, she hosted a TV anthology program. And in 1957 she made her last film, JOHNNY TROUBLE, as a den mother of sorts to a group of college fraternity boys. She would pass away two years later, just before her 80^th birthday, having outlived both her brothers.

Ethel Barrymore present and accounted for..!

She will live on as a superb actress. I loved everything I had seen her in. Johnny Trouble was (her last

film?) a very good film and had pathos and honor. It was an outstanding performance and different from

anything she had ever played. It was from '57 and was very timely with Ethel hinting that her pregnant

friend (played beautifully by Carolyn Jones) should continue her plan of staying single. After all,

freedom came first. Naturally she was encouraging her friend psychologically from her viewpoint and the

baby's future, as well as the baby's father (Stuart Whitman). She hopes to bring about a change of heart...

 

At the end was a huge surprise but I nearly saw it coming. IT was a real curve ball! Not to spoil it

for anyone who had not seen it. I think Cecil Kellaway was brilliant as her butler (and friend). Secrets

abound in this story of a proud widow and her college friends.

 

In short, Ethel was superb. I am going to watch Rasputin and the Empress again this afternoon. Great

and stirring film. Ethel could even play a proud empress! She brings to life the real tragedy. And,

I may just re-watch Johnny TRouble I recently acquired. IT takes me back to my teens - only last year!

(Smile) when I first saw it and was so stirred by it.

[TopBilled]

She will live on as a superb actress. I loved everything I had seen her in. Johnny Trouble was (her last

film?) a very good film and had pathos and honor. It was an outstanding performance and different from

anything she had ever played. It was from '57 and was very timely with Ethel hinting that her pregnant

friend (played beautifully by Carolyn Jones) should continue her plan of staying single. After all,

freedom came first. Naturally she was encouraging her friend psychologically from her viewpoint and the

baby's future, as well as the baby's father (Stuart Whitman). She hopes to bring about a change of heart...

 

At the end was a huge surprise but I nearly saw it coming. IT was a real curve ball! Not to spoil it

for anyone who had not seen it. I think Cecil Kellaway was brilliant as her butler (and friend). Secrets

abound in this story of a proud widow and her college friends.

 

In short, Ethel was superb. I am going to watch Rasputin and the Empress again this afternoon. Great

and stirring film. Ethel could even play a proud empress! She brings to life the real tragedy. And,

I may just re-watch Johnny TRouble I recently acquired. IT takes me back to my teens - only last year!

(Smile) when I first saw it and was so stirred by it.

Great post, Janet. I think JOHNNY TROUBLE was a remake of an earlier Republic film from the mid-40s starring Mabel Paige. I liked the whole mystery surrounding the elderly woman's son, and what had happened to him. And yes, I agree that the story is enhanced considerably by Cecil Kellaway's performance as the butler/right hand man. He made all the films he appeared in that much better.

[TopBilled]

Can you guess the ones I'll be spotlighting?

 

 

In the week ahead:

 

Saturday April 16th: Darrin Stephens #1.

 

Sunday April 17th: Samantha Stephens’ father and Mrs. Irving Thalberg.

 

Monday April 18th: Leading man at Monogram in the 40s.

 

Tuesday April 19th: British actress as Blanche Fury.

 

Wednesday April 20th: Mr. Ed’s owner.

 

Thursday April 21st: A girl that couldn’t help it.

 

Friday April 22nd: A couple stranded in Key Largo during hurricane season.

 

***

[TopBilled]

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Dick York is remembered mostly for his work on the long-running sitcom Bewitched where he costarred as Elizabeth Montgomery’s mortal husband, Darrin Stephens. But he had been a contract star at Columbia Pictures in the mid-to-late 1950s, appearing all sorts of genres. He acted alongside Jack Lemmon, Van Johnson and Gary Cooper in those Columbia productions, and in 1960 he had an important dramatic role as a teacher on trial in INHERIT THE WIND. But television was where Dick York shined. He gave memorable performances in Route 66 and The Twilight Zone, before being cast in his first regular television role. It was in a TV version of GOING MY WAY, with his INHERIT THE WIND cast mate, Gene Kelly. The show only lasted one season, which is a good thing, because it freed him up for Betwitched and lasting fame. A severe back injury caused him to quit the series after five seasons. And after a lengthy recovery period, he was back on TV in the early 80s, in an episode of Simon & Simon, as good as ever.

Dick York present and accounted for..!

[rayban]

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Dick York is remembered mostly for his work on the long-running sitcom Bewitched where he costarred as Elizabeth Montgomery’s mortal husband, Darrin Stephens. But he had been a contract star at Columbia Pictures in the mid-to-late 1950s, appearing all sorts of genres. He acted alongside Jack Lemmon, Van Johnson and Gary Cooper in those Columbia productions, and in 1960 he had an important dramatic role as a teacher on trial in INHERIT THE WIND. But television was where Dick York shined. He gave memorable performances in Route 66 and The Twilight Zone, before being cast in his first regular television role. It was in a TV version of GOING MY WAY, with his INHERIT THE WIND cast mate, Gene Kelly. The show only lasted one season, which is a good thing, because it freed him up for Betwitched and lasting fame. A severe back injury caused him to quit the series after five seasons. And after a lengthy recovery period, he was back on TV in the early 80s, in an episode of Simon & Simon, as good as ever.

Dick York present and accounted for..!

Could never forget him as Darrin in "Bewitched" or in that memorable episode from "The Twilight Zone".

[TopBilled]

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Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery were two of MGM’s most popular stars in the early 1930s. Since Norma was the wife of studio producer Irving Thalberg, the company’s most important projects were usually assigned to her. Leading men in these productions were the biggest names with the brightest futures, and Robert Montgomery certainly qualified in that regard. They were paired five times between 1929 and 1934. Their greatest hits included risqué romantic tales like THE DIVORCEE, which netted Norma an Oscar; PRIVATE LIVES, based on Noel Coward’s successful stage play; and RIPTIDE, which was written and directed by Edmund Goulding. Material changed considerably when the production code began to be more rigidly enforced, and the two performers were featured in other types of stories after 1934 with different costars. Norma would go on to perfect long-suffering heroines in literary adaptations; and Robert was usually seen as well-dressed playboys in romantic comedies and dramas. Whether together or separately, their box office appeal continued into the 1940s, and the glamour they personified in their best motion pictures would always be remembered.

Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery present and accounted for..! 

[rayban]

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Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery were two of MGM’s most popular stars in the early 1930s. Since Norma was the wife of studio producer Irving Thalberg, the company’s most important projects were usually assigned to her. Leading men in these productions were the biggest names with the brightest futures, and Robert Montgomery certainly qualified in that regard. They were paired five times between 1929 and 1934. Their greatest hits included risqué romantic tales like THE DIVORCEE, which netted Norma an Oscar; PRIVATE LIVES, based on Noel Coward’s successful stage play; and RIPTIDE, which was written and directed by Edmund Goulding. Material changed considerably when the production code began to be more rigidly enforced, and the two performers were featured in other types of stories after 1934 with different costars. Norma would go on to perfect long-suffering heroines in literary adaptations; and Robert was usually seen as well-dressed playboys in romantic comedies and dramas. Whether together or separately, their box office appeal continued into the 1940s, and the glamour they personified in their best motion pictures would always be remembered.

Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery present and accounted for..! 

They were such a delight in "Private Lives".

[GregoryPeckfan]

Shearer and Montgomery are one of my favourite on screen couples of all time.  I am a big fan of both of their individual careers.

[TopBilled]

Shearer and Montgomery are one of my favourite on screen couples of all time.  I am a big fan of both of their individual careers.

I know when she was Star of the Month not long ago, TCM aired several of their collaborations one evening. I almost wish they'd do it again, maybe air all five of them in a row.

[TopBilled]

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Peter Cookson may not be remembered much today, but he was one of the more frequently cast leading men at Monogram, a smaller studio in Hollywood.  From 1943 to 1946, he appeared in 13 features and was the romantic lead in nearly all of them.  In ADVENTURES OF KITTY O’DAY, he was a love interest who helped amateur sleuth Jean Parker nab a killer. And in one of his more well-known pictures, FEAR, he costarred opposite Warren William in a reworking of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. During the 1950s, he transitioned to TV and kept busy in dramatic anthology series. He was married to actress Beatrice Straight, and when they were not on screen, the couple acted on stage.

Peter Cookson present and accounted for..!

[CaveGirl]

According to IMDB he was on an episode of "Lights Out!" so I shall look for him in an episode in the dvd set. Thanks TB!

[TopBilled]

According to IMDB he was on an episode of "Lights Out!" so I shall look for him in an episode in the dvd set. Thanks TB!

In terms of his looks, he reminds me a bit of Barry Sullivan. But he's more debonair. I'm surprised a studio like MGM or Fox didn't pick him up after he paid his dues on poverty row. He had a big hit on Broadway in THE HEIRESS, the role that Montgomery Clift did in the movie. So maybe he just preferred stage and occasional live TV shows. 

[rayban]

In terms of his looks, he reminds me a bit of Barry Sullivan. But he's more debonair. I'm surprised a studio like MGM or Fox didn't pick him up after he paid his dues on poverty row. He had a big hit on Broadway in THE HEIRESS, the role that Montgomery Clift did in the movie. So maybe he just preferred stage and occasional live TV shows. 

I remember Peter Cookson from episodic TV; he was such a good-looking man.

 

I didn't realize that he had a movie career beforehand.

 

I actually saw Beatrice Straight in a really riveting production of Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts"

 

And she was unforgettable in Edward Albee's "Everything In The Garden".

 

I don't recall seeing Beatrice Straight and Peter Cookson in anything on stage, though.

[TopBilled]

I remember Peter Cookson from episodic TV; he was such a good-looking man.

 

I didn't realize that he had a movie career beforehand.

 

I think he probably had opportunities in Hollywood when other leading men were off in the military during WWII.

[TopBilled]

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Valerie Hobson was primarily a British film actress. In the mid-1930s, she went to Hollywood and appeared in horror suspense pictures at Universal-- including BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and WEREWOLF OF LONDON. Both are regarded as classics. But she was soon back in her native England, taking on more serious parts in productions with James Mason, Laurence Olivier and Conrad Veidt. By 1940, she had married a prolific British producer and then gave birth to the first of her three children. In between pregnancies, she appeared in some of the most prestigious films of the 1940s and 1950s, including David Lean’s version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS and THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER with costar John Mills. In later years, as her movie career tapered off, she devoted herself to stage work and the raising of her children.

Valerie Hobson present and accounted for..!

[cinemaspeak59]

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Valerie Hobson was primarily a British film actress. In the mid-1930s, she went to Hollywood and appeared in horror suspense pictures at Universal-- including BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and WEREWOLF OF LONDON. Both are regarded as classics. But the actress was soon back in her native England, taking on more serious roles in productions with James Mason, Laurence Olivier and Conrad Veidt. By 1940, she had married a prolific British producer and then gave birth to the first of her three children. In between pregnancies, she appeared in some of the most prestigious films of the 1940s and 1950s, including David Lean’s version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS and THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER with costar John Mills. In later years, as her movie career tapered off, she devoted herself to stage work and the raising of her children.

Valerie Hobson present and accounted for..!

Jolly good stuff.  Great pics.  I loved Valerie Hobson, along with other great British actresses from the 1930s: Margaret Lockwood, Madeleine Carroll and Heather Angel, to name a few.  They had talent, style, elegance.  I never get tired of watching them.

[TopBilled]

Jolly good stuff.  Great pics.  I loved Valerie Hobson, along with other great British actresses from the 1930s: Margaret Lockwood, Madeleine Carroll and Heather Angel, to name a few.  They had talent, style, elegance.  I never get tired of watching them.

I love all those gals, too. Of today's British actresses, I think Emma Thompson comes closest to emulating this group.

 

Hobson's looks improved. She photographs very well in Technicolor. 

[rayban]

"The Rocking Horse Winner" has such an interesting cast - Valerie Hobson, John Howard Davies,

Ronald Squire and John Mills.

 

It was about a boy who tried to save his parents' marriage, but didn't realize that it was already too late.

 

[cinemaspeak59]

I love all those gals, too. Of today's British actresses, I think Emma Thompson comes closest to emulating this group.

 

Hobson's looks improved. She photographs very well in Technicolor. 

Emma Thompson, indeed, has that same aura.  As for younger actresses, I like Felicity Jones, with that lovely overbite, and Keira Knightley, who always gives it her all.  Alicia Vikander, although Swedish, could also step into a 1934 film set and fit right in.

[rayban]

Emma Thompson, indeed, has that same aura.  As for younger actresses, I like Felicity Jones, with that lovely overbite, and Keira Knightley, who always gives it her all.  Alicia Vikander, although Swedish, could also step into a 1934 film set and fit right in.

Alicia Vikander was so amazing in "The Danish Girl" - she played a woman who was so deeply in love with her husband, who began to realize that he was actually a woman.

[TopBilled]

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Alan Young initially made a name for himself on radio. In the mid-1940s he was signed to a contract at 20^th Century Fox. He had memorable supporting roles in classics like MARGIE with Jeanne Crain and CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY with Celeste Holm. In the 1950s, he continued to appear in films but his work remained more focused on radio and ultimately television. In 1960, he had a key role in producer George Pal’s adaptation of H.G. Wells’ THE TIME MACHINE and he also signed to appear in a new television series. The series, known as Mr. Ed was considered so insignificant in the beginning that none of the major networks would broadcast it. The first season was syndicated, but it was so instantly popular with viewers that CBS picked it up the second season and continued to air it for the next four and a half years. Young played Wilbur Post, an architect whose office was in his barn, next to a stall occupied by a talking horse, The horse was voiced by Allan Lane, and the interactions between the Palomino and Young as the lead human character proved classic from start to finish. Young worked on many projects in the years that followed, but the show would always be his main claim to fame.

Alan Young present and accounted for..!

[CaveGirl]

Alan Young was quite good in TTM, but you are so right that being straight man to a horse did prove to be his most significant role.

 

And that takes some talent, particularly when you have to play backup in episodes like my favorite one, called "Mae West Meets Mister Ed".

 

Any actor who could keep a deadpan face during that confrontation has to be great, TB!

[TopBilled]

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There were many Monroe imitators in the 1950s. Some of them were flashes in the pan, and others had a bit more staying power. Jayne Mansfield was one of those who lasted longest. She had scored a big hit on Broadway in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?, and she was soon signed by 20^th Century Fox to appear in the film version. It catapulted her to instant fame. There were several follow up films of varying success. Perhaps the most popular of those was THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT. One of the other films she did in the 50s paired her with Cary Grant, and there was an adaptation of a Steinbeck story with Joan Collins. By 1960, Mansfield’s movie career was already in decline. Her personal life was probably more interesting at that point. After her contract ended at Fox, the movie scripts being offered were increasingly risqué. Ultimately, she moved from her parody of Monroe to a parody of herself. But while her later material was beneath her talents as an actress, she always maintained a certain level of professionalism and that is how she should be remembered.

Jayne Mansfield present and accounted for..!

[rayban]

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There were many Monroe imitators in the 1950s. Some of them were flashes in the pan, and others had a bit more staying power. Jayne Mansfield was one of those who lasted longest. She had scored a big hit on Broadway in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?, and she was soon signed by 20^th Century Fox to appear in the film version. It catapulted her to instant fame. There were several follow up films of varying success. Perhaps the most popular of those was THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT. One of the other films she did in the 50s paired her with Cary Grant, and there was an adaptation of a Steinbeck story with Joan Collins. By 1960, Mansfield’s movie career was already in decline. Her personal life was probably more interesting at that point. After her contract ended at Fox, the movie scripts being offered were increasingly risqué. Ultimately, she moved from her parody of Monroe to a parody of herself. But while her later material was beneath her talents as an actress, she always maintained a certain level of professionalism and that is how she should be remembered.

Jayne Mansfield present and accounted for..!

Unfortunately, Jayne Mansfield fell into the hands of Frank Tashlin in "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" - he turned her into a cartoon figure in both films - you could not take her seriously - and she seemed perfectly willing, too.

 

But she was an actress - and she proved it, too - in "The Burglar" and "The Wayward Bus".

 

After her contract ended at 20th Century Fox, she was SEX WITH A VENGEANCE!

 

Her oh-so-personal film, "Promises, Promises", in which she exposed her famous breasts to the camera is a cringe-worthy enterprise.

 

You can only feel sorry that she allowed herself to fall so low.

 

In "The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield", which was an uncompleted documentary that was released anyway, you can see the exacting toll her failed career had actually taken on the woman.

 

It was a very sad end for a woman obsessed with stardom.

 

The notorious milk bottles scene from "The Girl Can't Help It" -

 

[TopBilled]

Unfortunately, Jayne Mansfield fell into the hands of Frank Tashlin in "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" - he turned her into a cartoon figure in both films - you could not take her seriously - and she seemed perfectly willing, too.

 

But she was an actress - and she proved it, too - in "The Burglar" and "The Wayward Bus".

 

After her contract ended at 20th Century Fox, she was SEX WITH A VENGEANCE!

 

Her oh-so-personal film, "Promises, Promises", in which she exposed her famous breasts to the camera is a cringe-worthy enterprise.

 

You can only feel sorry that she allowed herself to fall so low.

 

In "The World According to Jayne Mansfield", which was an uncompleted documentary that was released anyway, you can see the exacting toll her failed career had actually taken on the woman.

 

It was a very sad end for a woman obsessed with stardom.

In the ROCK HUNTER movie, she is obviously lampooning Monroe-- and it is supposed to be cartoonish. But then she couldn't get away from that type of character, despite good notices in THE WAYWARD BUS and more serious roles. I am sure if they had reality TV shows in the 1960s, she would have starred in one.