The 2024 Cannes Film Festival concluded on Saturday, May 25 following two weeks packed with screenings, stars, press and parties. With the prizes having been handed out for the festival’s 77th anniversary, we can now start looking at what contenders might be in the best spot to get into the upcoming Oscar race. Let’s examine the winners from this year’s festival and see the history that each category has when it comes to the Oscars.
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
- 5/25/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Gary Cooper was a two-time Oscar winner who starred in dozens of movies before his death in 1961, but how many of those titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1901, Cooper got his start in silent movies, most notably the aerial drama “Wings” (1927), which won the very first Academy Award as Best Picture. He would collect his own statuette as Best Actor for another WWI film: the biographical drama “Sergeant York” (1941). Directed by Howard Hawks, it helped create Cooper’s screen persona of an ordinary man capable of extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.
He won a second Best Actor trophy for playing a similar character in Fred Zinnemann‘s western “High Noon” (1952), which cast him as a retired marshal who must stand up to a gang of killers arriving on the noon train. Cooper earned additional nominations for similarly idealistic,...
Born in 1901, Cooper got his start in silent movies, most notably the aerial drama “Wings” (1927), which won the very first Academy Award as Best Picture. He would collect his own statuette as Best Actor for another WWI film: the biographical drama “Sergeant York” (1941). Directed by Howard Hawks, it helped create Cooper’s screen persona of an ordinary man capable of extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.
He won a second Best Actor trophy for playing a similar character in Fred Zinnemann‘s western “High Noon” (1952), which cast him as a retired marshal who must stand up to a gang of killers arriving on the noon train. Cooper earned additional nominations for similarly idealistic,...
- 5/4/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Alfred Hitchcock’s films have been some of the iconic films that have shaped the genre of suspense thrillers. He is known as the Master of Suspense, and his filmography as a director has been an inspirational one. Films such as To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho have been considered his best films.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is potentially the best suspense horror/thriller film
The latter is his most popular film featuring one of cinema’s most feared antagonists, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins. The actor also managed to earn an Oscar nomination for the 1956 film Friendly Persuasion. However, he held one secret about his sexuality due to the regressive ideologies of the 50s.
Anthony Perkins Hid the Fact That He Was Gay Throughout His Life Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
Anthony Perkins rose to fame when he starred...
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is potentially the best suspense horror/thriller film
The latter is his most popular film featuring one of cinema’s most feared antagonists, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins. The actor also managed to earn an Oscar nomination for the 1956 film Friendly Persuasion. However, he held one secret about his sexuality due to the regressive ideologies of the 50s.
Anthony Perkins Hid the Fact That He Was Gay Throughout His Life Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
Anthony Perkins rose to fame when he starred...
- 2/15/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Although he has personally competed for the Best Picture Oscar as a qualifying producer of just four films, Martin Scorsese is responsible for directing 10 of the top Academy Award category’s nominees, including 2024 contender “Killers of the Flower Moon.” This recent improvement upon his total makes him only the third filmmaker in Oscars history to helm a double-digit amount of Best Picture nominees. Including him, six people who were already credited with directing at least one nominee rose higher in the ranks this year.
The previous Scorsese films that vied for Best Picture are 2007 winner “The Departed” (for which he earned his sole directing trophy) and nominees “Taxi Driver” (1977), “Raging Bull” (1981), “Goodfellas” (1991), “Gangs of New York” (2003), “The Aviator” (2005), “Hugo” (2012), “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014), and “The Irishman” (2020). Of the 10, he received producing notices for the most recent four and directing bids for all but “Taxi Driver.” The only ones who...
The previous Scorsese films that vied for Best Picture are 2007 winner “The Departed” (for which he earned his sole directing trophy) and nominees “Taxi Driver” (1977), “Raging Bull” (1981), “Goodfellas” (1991), “Gangs of New York” (2003), “The Aviator” (2005), “Hugo” (2012), “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014), and “The Irishman” (2020). Of the 10, he received producing notices for the most recent four and directing bids for all but “Taxi Driver.” The only ones who...
- 2/9/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest movie makers of all time, with titles such as “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Irishman.” The Academy Awards think that highly of him, too. Scorsese has reaped nine Best Director nominations. That tally ties him with Steven Spielberg. Here’s the breakdown of Best Director bids for both of them:
Scorsese:
“Raging Bull” in 1981 — lost to Robert Redford for “Ordinary People.” “The Last Temptation of Christ” in 1989 — lost to Barry Levinson for “Rain Man.” “Goodfellas” in 1991 — lost to Kevin Costner for “Dances With Wolves.” “Gangs of New York” in 2003 — lost to Roman Polanski for “The Pianist.” “The Aviator” in 2005 — lost to Clint Eastwood for “Million Dollar Baby.” “The Departed” in 2007 — Won. “Hugo” in 2012 — lost to Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist.” “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2014 — lost to Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” “The Irishman” in 2020 — lost to Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite.
Scorsese:
“Raging Bull” in 1981 — lost to Robert Redford for “Ordinary People.” “The Last Temptation of Christ” in 1989 — lost to Barry Levinson for “Rain Man.” “Goodfellas” in 1991 — lost to Kevin Costner for “Dances With Wolves.” “Gangs of New York” in 2003 — lost to Roman Polanski for “The Pianist.” “The Aviator” in 2005 — lost to Clint Eastwood for “Million Dollar Baby.” “The Departed” in 2007 — Won. “Hugo” in 2012 — lost to Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist.” “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2014 — lost to Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” “The Irishman” in 2020 — lost to Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite.
- 9/13/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
With his long hair, sunglasses and bellbottoms, Hal Ashby was the epitome of the 1970s flower child, even though he was a decade older than most of the filmmakers working at the time. Though his flame burned brightly and briefly, he left behind a series of classics that signified the nose-thumbing, countercultural attitude of the era, with a bit of humanism and heart thrown in for good measure. Let’s take a look back at all 12 of his films, ranked worst to best.
Born on September 2, 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!” (1966), which earned him his first Oscar nomination,...
Born on September 2, 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!” (1966), which earned him his first Oscar nomination,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, May 27 after two weeks of films, celebrities, parties and interviews in the small city on the French Riviera. Now that the prizes have been given out, we can start looking at what could be top contenders for next year’s Oscars. Let’s analyze the results from this year’s festival and see this history that each category has when it comes to the Academy Awards.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
- 5/28/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
"Starring in a horror movie can't be that hard," you may think. You just run around screaming while being chased by a grown man in a Halloween costume, right? Not so fast. Starring in a horror movie tests your mettle. The budgets are usually cheap, you're paid in pizza, and the demands are more than most movie stars making six figures would endure. However, many actors — especially young actors — think it's totally worth it. Why? Because there are few emotions more pure and primal than fear. If you can make a connection with an audience in a horror movie, it can make you a star. If you're already a star, it can make you an icon.
Hollywood history is filled with numerous actors who became movie stars by starring in horror flicks. Some were complete unknowns who became cult icons or horror household names, while others were well-known actors whose...
Hollywood history is filled with numerous actors who became movie stars by starring in horror flicks. Some were complete unknowns who became cult icons or horror household names, while others were well-known actors whose...
- 1/26/2023
- by Hunter Cates
- Slash Film
After two years of cancellations and delays, the Cannes Film Festival finally returned to the south of France during the month of May. The winners of this year’s festivities were announced on Saturday, May 25. How many of these will become major players in this year’s Oscar derby? Below let’s review the results from the 75th installment of the international festival and examine the history each serves as a forecaster for the Academy Awards.
In recent years, Cannes has served as a launching pad for films that have become major contenders in awards season. This is particularly true in the International Feature category which, for the past several years, has had several nominees that were screened in competition. It’s also been true in other categories, including several above the line races, with films like “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman” having their premieres on the Croissette.
In recent years, Cannes has served as a launching pad for films that have become major contenders in awards season. This is particularly true in the International Feature category which, for the past several years, has had several nominees that were screened in competition. It’s also been true in other categories, including several above the line races, with films like “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman” having their premieres on the Croissette.
- 6/6/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Tom Cruise conquers Cannes with fighter jets, a standing ovation, and a surprise honorary Palme d’Or
Never try to outguess the Cannes Film Festival. The yearly gathering of cinema’s elite has bestowed its top prize, the Palme d’Or, to many groundbreaking international auteurs over the years, like Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kurosawa. Recent winners include Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Ruben Östlund. Geniuses all, but hardly the bunch that packs ‘em in at the local AMC.
But on Wednesday, Festival Director Thierry Frémaux led the exalted festival right into the Danger Zone. It presented A-list crowdpleaser Tom Cruise with an honorary Palme d’Or at the out-of-competition screening of “Top Gun: Maverick.” The award was said to be unexpected.
The first honorary Palme d’Or was given to Ingmar Bergman in 1997, awarded to correct the fact that the Swedish filmmaker had never won one for a competition title. Five years later Woody Allen won the second honorary Palme, and they’ve...
But on Wednesday, Festival Director Thierry Frémaux led the exalted festival right into the Danger Zone. It presented A-list crowdpleaser Tom Cruise with an honorary Palme d’Or at the out-of-competition screening of “Top Gun: Maverick.” The award was said to be unexpected.
The first honorary Palme d’Or was given to Ingmar Bergman in 1997, awarded to correct the fact that the Swedish filmmaker had never won one for a competition title. Five years later Woody Allen won the second honorary Palme, and they’ve...
- 5/19/2022
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Post-slap, Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars ceremony along with other Academy events for 10 years. The Academy’s Board of Governors met April 8, to finalize their response to Smith’s physical attack on presenter Chris Rock on stage during the March 25 awards show.
Smith previously tendered his resignation from the Academy. Speculation swirled that his Best Actor Oscar could be rescinded or he might be declared ineligible for future nomination, but here’s why both of those outcomes were unlikely.
The sole precedent for overturning a win came in 1969, when feature documentary “The Young Americans” was found to be ineligible due to its release date. In that case, runner-up “Journey Into Self” received the statuette and the original one was returned.
There is a more significant precedent for barring someone from nomination in an otherwise eligible film, but it was an ugly chapter of Academy history that,...
Smith previously tendered his resignation from the Academy. Speculation swirled that his Best Actor Oscar could be rescinded or he might be declared ineligible for future nomination, but here’s why both of those outcomes were unlikely.
The sole precedent for overturning a win came in 1969, when feature documentary “The Young Americans” was found to be ineligible due to its release date. In that case, runner-up “Journey Into Self” received the statuette and the original one was returned.
There is a more significant precedent for barring someone from nomination in an otherwise eligible film, but it was an ugly chapter of Academy history that,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
After going virtual last year and not handing out any prizes due to the Covid pandemic, the 2021 Cannes Film Festival returned to form by announcing its winners on July 17. How many of these will figure in the upcoming Oscar race? We recap the results from the 74th edition of this foremost of film festivals and review its history as a forecaster of the Academy Awards.
The top award at Cannes is the Palme d’Or. Over the years, 40 winners of this prize have amassed 135 Academy Award nominations. Seventeen of these have claimed a combined 32 Oscars. This year, the Palme d’Or went to French filmmaker Julia Ducournau‘s “Titane.” Her dramatic thriller centers on a father reunited with his son who was missing for a decade during which several unexplained crimes were committed. Ducournau is the second woman to take this top prize following Jane Campion‘s breakthrough in 1993 with “The Piano.
The top award at Cannes is the Palme d’Or. Over the years, 40 winners of this prize have amassed 135 Academy Award nominations. Seventeen of these have claimed a combined 32 Oscars. This year, the Palme d’Or went to French filmmaker Julia Ducournau‘s “Titane.” Her dramatic thriller centers on a father reunited with his son who was missing for a decade during which several unexplained crimes were committed. Ducournau is the second woman to take this top prize following Jane Campion‘s breakthrough in 1993 with “The Piano.
- 7/18/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Peter Mark Richman, an actor who appeared on series including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Dynasty,” has died at the age of 93, according to a representative.
Richman, a Philadelphia native, died of natural causes Thursday morning in Woodland Hills, California.
Prior to getting his start as a New York theater actor, Richman worked as a pharmacist and earned a degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. He would go on appear on Broadway in productions of “A Hatful of Rain” and “Masquerade,” in addition to starring in Edward Albee’s original New York production of “The Zoo Story.”
As a playwright, Richman penned the one-man play “4 Faces,” and starred in the film version of the piece. His other writing credits include “A Medal for Murray,” as well as novels and short-story collections like “Hollander’s Deal” and “The Rebirth of Ira Masters.”
Richman’s screen credits include “Friendly Persuasion,...
Richman, a Philadelphia native, died of natural causes Thursday morning in Woodland Hills, California.
Prior to getting his start as a New York theater actor, Richman worked as a pharmacist and earned a degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. He would go on appear on Broadway in productions of “A Hatful of Rain” and “Masquerade,” in addition to starring in Edward Albee’s original New York production of “The Zoo Story.”
As a playwright, Richman penned the one-man play “4 Faces,” and starred in the film version of the piece. His other writing credits include “A Medal for Murray,” as well as novels and short-story collections like “Hollander’s Deal” and “The Rebirth of Ira Masters.”
Richman’s screen credits include “Friendly Persuasion,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Peter Mark Richman, a star of Broadway, film and television who had guest starring roles on more than 500 TV shows, including a recurring role as Rev. Snow on the classic sitcom Three’s Company, died today in Woodland Hills, Calif. of natural causes. He was 93.
Born on April 16th, 1927 in Philadelphia, Richman’s career as an actor, playwright, author and artist spanned eight decades.
After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science as a licensed pharmacist in two states, he found his first opportunities on the New York stage as a member of the Actors Studio. He starred in Calder Willingham’s End as a Man.
In addition to tours and productions across the US, he appeared on Broadway in A Hatful of Rain and Masquerade. He also portrayed “Jerry” in more than 400 performances of Edward Albee’s original NY production of The Zoo Story.
William Wyler brought him west for the classic film,...
Born on April 16th, 1927 in Philadelphia, Richman’s career as an actor, playwright, author and artist spanned eight decades.
After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science as a licensed pharmacist in two states, he found his first opportunities on the New York stage as a member of the Actors Studio. He starred in Calder Willingham’s End as a Man.
In addition to tours and productions across the US, he appeared on Broadway in A Hatful of Rain and Masquerade. He also portrayed “Jerry” in more than 400 performances of Edward Albee’s original NY production of The Zoo Story.
William Wyler brought him west for the classic film,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Mark Richman, the pharmacist turned ubiquitous character actor who showed up in such films as Friendly Persuasion and The Black Orchid and on TV shows including Dynasty and Three’s Company, has died. He was 93.
Richman died Thursday morning of natural causes at his home in Woodland Hills, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Richman starred as a former mob lawyer who teams with the FBI to bring criminals to justice on the 1961-62 NBC series Cain’s Hundred and played Andrew Laird, a savvy attorney for Denver-Carrington Oil and the Carrington family, on ABC’s Dynasty from 1981-84.
He also was the Reverend Snow, the ...
Richman died Thursday morning of natural causes at his home in Woodland Hills, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Richman starred as a former mob lawyer who teams with the FBI to bring criminals to justice on the 1961-62 NBC series Cain’s Hundred and played Andrew Laird, a savvy attorney for Denver-Carrington Oil and the Carrington family, on ABC’s Dynasty from 1981-84.
He also was the Reverend Snow, the ...
- 1/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Peter Mark Richman, the pharmacist turned ubiquitous character actor who showed up in such films as Friendly Persuasion and The Black Orchid and on TV shows including Dynasty and Three’s Company, has died. He was 93.
Richman died Thursday morning of natural causes at his home in Woodland Hills, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Richman starred as a former mob lawyer who teams with the FBI to bring criminals to justice on the 1961-62 NBC series Cain’s Hundred and played Andrew Laird, a savvy attorney for Denver-Carrington Oil and the Carrington family, on ABC’s Dynasty from 1981-84.
He also was the Reverend Snow, the ...
Richman died Thursday morning of natural causes at his home in Woodland Hills, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Richman starred as a former mob lawyer who teams with the FBI to bring criminals to justice on the 1961-62 NBC series Cain’s Hundred and played Andrew Laird, a savvy attorney for Denver-Carrington Oil and the Carrington family, on ABC’s Dynasty from 1981-84.
He also was the Reverend Snow, the ...
- 1/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
With the six Oscar nominations Bong Joon Ho‘s “Parasite” scored on Monday morning, the film became the latest to have won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and score an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Only one film has actually succeeded in winning both of those honors: Delbert Mann‘s “Marty,” which prevailed in 1955.
Since the Palme d’Or was established, 15 other films have managed to take the top prize at Cannes and make it into the Best Picture race: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “All That Jazz” (1979), “Missing” (1982), “The Mission” (1986), “The Piano” (1993), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets & Lies” (1996), “The Pianist” (2002), “The Tree of Life” (2011) and “Amour” (2012).
See 2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
The top prize from the French film festival is not always a reliable barometer for what will get in at the Oscars.
Since the Palme d’Or was established, 15 other films have managed to take the top prize at Cannes and make it into the Best Picture race: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “All That Jazz” (1979), “Missing” (1982), “The Mission” (1986), “The Piano” (1993), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets & Lies” (1996), “The Pianist” (2002), “The Tree of Life” (2011) and “Amour” (2012).
See 2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
The top prize from the French film festival is not always a reliable barometer for what will get in at the Oscars.
- 1/16/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
When Osgood Perkins was cast as a young Norman Bates in 1983’s “Psycho II,” he stepped into the iconic role that had catapulted his father, Anthony Perkins, to superstardom in 1960. While other roles followed in well-received films, including “Legally Blonde” and “Secretary,” Osgood, now 45, came to realize that acting was never his calling. The horror genre, however, most certainly was. So, he turned to writing and directing nail-biters that, like “Psycho,” are both suspenseful and character-driven.
His latest, “Gretel & Hansel,” in theaters on January 31, is a dark fantasy based on the Brothers Grimm tale. In the film, a teen Gretel played by Sophia Lillis (“It”) and younger bro Hansel, played by newcomer Sam Leakey, lose their way in a dark wood while foraging to help their poverty-stricken parents. But after stumbling upon the home of a witch, Holda, things go from bad to worse. Unlike traditional horror films that...
His latest, “Gretel & Hansel,” in theaters on January 31, is a dark fantasy based on the Brothers Grimm tale. In the film, a teen Gretel played by Sophia Lillis (“It”) and younger bro Hansel, played by newcomer Sam Leakey, lose their way in a dark wood while foraging to help their poverty-stricken parents. But after stumbling upon the home of a witch, Holda, things go from bad to worse. Unlike traditional horror films that...
- 1/15/2020
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
A dozen war movies have won the best-picture Oscar, from “Wings” through “The English Patient.” Despite an overabundance of World War II movies through the decades, Fox Searchlight has two that offer original points of view: “Jojo Rabbit” and “A Hidden Life.”
The latter film, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is one of the few movies to explore the world of a conscientious objector, based on real-life Austrian farmer Franz Jagerstatter. He refused to cooperate with the Nazis, saying, “We can’t remain silent in the face of evil. We have to confront it.”
A conscientious objector, or Co, status has never been fashionable in Hollywood, because it’s never been fashionable with the general population.
Example No. 1: Actor Lew Ayres, who worked regularly in 1930s Hollywood. His career nearly ended in 1942, when he was given 4E, conscientious objector, status. The public considered him a traitor, but calmed...
The latter film, written and directed by Terrence Malick, is one of the few movies to explore the world of a conscientious objector, based on real-life Austrian farmer Franz Jagerstatter. He refused to cooperate with the Nazis, saying, “We can’t remain silent in the face of evil. We have to confront it.”
A conscientious objector, or Co, status has never been fashionable in Hollywood, because it’s never been fashionable with the general population.
Example No. 1: Actor Lew Ayres, who worked regularly in 1930s Hollywood. His career nearly ended in 1942, when he was given 4E, conscientious objector, status. The public considered him a traitor, but calmed...
- 1/4/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Hal Ashby would’ve celebrated his 90th birthday on September 2, 2019. With his long hair, sunglasses and bellbottoms, he was the epitome of the 1970s flower child, even though he was a decade older than most of the filmmakers working at the time. Though his flame burned brightly and briefly, he left behind a series of classics that signified the nose-thumbing, countercultural attitude of the era, with a bit of humanism and heart thrown in for good measure. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at all 12 of his films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!...
Born in 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!...
- 9/2/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Cosmo Genovese, a veteran script supervisor whose credits include Perry Mason, The A-Team and two Star Trek series, died Tuesday in Burbank, his family said. He was 95.
His first job in Hollywood was on William Wyler's Oscar best-picture nominee Friendly Persuasion (1956), starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins.
Genovese served as a script supervisor on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-94 and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-2000 for a total of 275 episodes.
Star Trek: Tng and Voyager writers made subtle tributes to him on their series, putting his name on dedication plaques and directories,...
His first job in Hollywood was on William Wyler's Oscar best-picture nominee Friendly Persuasion (1956), starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins.
Genovese served as a script supervisor on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-94 and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-2000 for a total of 275 episodes.
Star Trek: Tng and Voyager writers made subtle tributes to him on their series, putting his name on dedication plaques and directories,...
Cosmo Genovese, a veteran script supervisor whose credits include Perry Mason, The A-Team and two Star Trek series, died Tuesday in Burbank, his family said. He was 95.
His first job in Hollywood was on William Wyler's Oscar best-picture nominee Friendly Persuasion (1956), starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins.
Genovese served as a script supervisor on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-94 and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-2000 for a total of 275 episodes.
Star Trek: Tng and Voyager writers made subtle tributes to him on their series, putting his name on dedication plaques and directories,...
His first job in Hollywood was on William Wyler's Oscar best-picture nominee Friendly Persuasion (1956), starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins.
Genovese served as a script supervisor on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987-94 and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995-2000 for a total of 275 episodes.
Star Trek: Tng and Voyager writers made subtle tributes to him on their series, putting his name on dedication plaques and directories,...
Cosmo Genovese, whose career as a TV and film script supervisor spanned 45 years and included Perry Mason, The A-Team and two Star Trek series, died Tuesday. He was 95.
Known for his dedicated and precise work ethic — along with his wit and humor — Genovese got his TV start on the 1950s ABC Western Broken Arrow, serving as script supervisor on nearly three dozen episodes. He went on to work on a trio of features before becoming script supervisor for Perry Mason, the popular CBS legal drama starring Raymond Burr.
After that show wrapped in 1964, Genovese worked rather sporadically before roaring back as script supervisor for the campy NBC action series The A-Team. While it won few hosannas from critics, the George Peppard-led show was an instant if short-lived hit upon its 1983 premiere as a midsummer replacement. The A-Team finished in the primetime top 10 it first two seasons before slipping in...
Known for his dedicated and precise work ethic — along with his wit and humor — Genovese got his TV start on the 1950s ABC Western Broken Arrow, serving as script supervisor on nearly three dozen episodes. He went on to work on a trio of features before becoming script supervisor for Perry Mason, the popular CBS legal drama starring Raymond Burr.
After that show wrapped in 1964, Genovese worked rather sporadically before roaring back as script supervisor for the campy NBC action series The A-Team. While it won few hosannas from critics, the George Peppard-led show was an instant if short-lived hit upon its 1983 premiere as a midsummer replacement. The A-Team finished in the primetime top 10 it first two seasons before slipping in...
- 8/1/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
William Wyler would’ve celebrated his 117th birthday on July 1, 2019. The three-time Oscar winner crafted several classics during Hollywood’s Golden Age, adapting his style to a wide variety of genres. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
- 7/1/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival has wrapped and the two films that looked well-positioned for this year’s Oscars (Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life”) both went home empty-handed.
Cannes’ coveted Palme d’Or went to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama, “Parasite.” The film, about two families from different classes that find themselves on a collision course with each other, had the most glowing reviews of this year’s entries. Bong is now the first Korean director to win the top honor. The film’s win here could catapult it into serious Oscar consideration. Since 1955, 39 winners of this top honor have amassed a total of 129 Academy Award nominations, with 28 Oscar wins spanning 16 films. And 15 Palme d’Or champs scored Best Picture nominations: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now...
Cannes’ coveted Palme d’Or went to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama, “Parasite.” The film, about two families from different classes that find themselves on a collision course with each other, had the most glowing reviews of this year’s entries. Bong is now the first Korean director to win the top honor. The film’s win here could catapult it into serious Oscar consideration. Since 1955, 39 winners of this top honor have amassed a total of 129 Academy Award nominations, with 28 Oscar wins spanning 16 films. And 15 Palme d’Or champs scored Best Picture nominations: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now...
- 5/26/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Gary Cooper would’ve celebrated his 118th birthday on May 7, 2019. The two-time Oscar winner starred in dozens of movies before his death in 1961, but how many of those titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1901, Cooper got his start in silent movies, most notably the aerial drama “Wings” (1927), which won the very first Academy Award as Best Picture. He would collect his own statuette as Best Actor for another Wwi film: the biographical drama “Sergeant York” (1941). Directed by Howard Hawks, it helped create Cooper’s screen persona of an ordinary man capable of extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
He won a second Best Actor trophy for playing a similar character in Fred Zinnemann‘s western “High Noon” (1952), which cast him...
Born in 1901, Cooper got his start in silent movies, most notably the aerial drama “Wings” (1927), which won the very first Academy Award as Best Picture. He would collect his own statuette as Best Actor for another Wwi film: the biographical drama “Sergeant York” (1941). Directed by Howard Hawks, it helped create Cooper’s screen persona of an ordinary man capable of extraordinary courage in the face of adversity.
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
He won a second Best Actor trophy for playing a similar character in Fred Zinnemann‘s western “High Noon” (1952), which cast him...
- 5/7/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
This article marks Part 7 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.
The 1955 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Something’s Gotta Give” from “Daddy Long Legs”
“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
“I’ll Never Stop Loving You” from “Love Me or Leave Me”
“(Love Is) The Tender Trap” from “The Tender Trap”
“Unchained Melody” from “Unchained”
Won: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
Should’ve won: “Something’s Gotta Give” from “Daddy Long Legs”
“Unchained Melody,” that timeless Righteous Brothers classic that’s been put to memorable use for decades across film and television, actually originated as an Oscar-nominated song in 1955. It’s briefly featured...
The 1955 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Something’s Gotta Give” from “Daddy Long Legs”
“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
“I’ll Never Stop Loving You” from “Love Me or Leave Me”
“(Love Is) The Tender Trap” from “The Tender Trap”
“Unchained Melody” from “Unchained”
Won: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
Should’ve won: “Something’s Gotta Give” from “Daddy Long Legs”
“Unchained Melody,” that timeless Righteous Brothers classic that’s been put to memorable use for decades across film and television, actually originated as an Oscar-nominated song in 1955. It’s briefly featured...
- 9/19/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
Book Review: "More Than A Psycho: The Complete Films Of Anthony Perkins" By Dawn And Jonathon Dabell
By Lee Pfeiffer
Despite having been a major star for decades and having a lead a life of controversy and personal obstacles and challenges, it seems surprising that there has never been a book about the films of Anthony Perkins that examined his work in detail. That dilemma has finally been resolved with the release of "More Than a Psycho: The Complete Films of Anthony Perkins" by husband-and-wife writing team of Dawn and Jonathon Dabell. The authors refreshingly concentrate on examining each of the actor's individual feature films and TV productions in detail, offering fascinating background information and astute evaluations of each title from classics such as "Friendly Persuasion" and "Murder on the Orient Express" to television fare such as "How Awful About Alan" There is a biographical section, to be sure, that provides meaningful details on Perkins' life and career but the primary emphasis is on the quality of his individual films.
Despite having been a major star for decades and having a lead a life of controversy and personal obstacles and challenges, it seems surprising that there has never been a book about the films of Anthony Perkins that examined his work in detail. That dilemma has finally been resolved with the release of "More Than a Psycho: The Complete Films of Anthony Perkins" by husband-and-wife writing team of Dawn and Jonathon Dabell. The authors refreshingly concentrate on examining each of the actor's individual feature films and TV productions in detail, offering fascinating background information and astute evaluations of each title from classics such as "Friendly Persuasion" and "Murder on the Orient Express" to television fare such as "How Awful About Alan" There is a biographical section, to be sure, that provides meaningful details on Perkins' life and career but the primary emphasis is on the quality of his individual films.
- 8/28/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Ya know, “It’s a Big Country!” Westerns and pacifism are like oil and water, but William Wyler, Jessamyn West and three other top writers found a way for Gregory Peck to surmount eight showdowns and never fire a pistol in anger. Jean Simmons and Charlton Heston win top acting honors, while Burl Ives earns his Oscar, Carroll Baker gets the thankless role and composer Jerome Moross makes western music history. MGM’s remastering job fixes the problems of an earlier Blu-ray, and even brings the title sequence up to tip top condition. Plus several hours of special extras.
The Big Country
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 166 min. / Street Date June 5, 2018 / 60th Anniversary Edition / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, Charles Bickford, Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Connors, Chuck Hayward, Dorothy Adams, Chuck Roberson.
Cinematography: Franz F. Planer
Film Editor: Robert Swink...
The Big Country
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 166 min. / Street Date June 5, 2018 / 60th Anniversary Edition / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, Charles Bickford, Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Connors, Chuck Hayward, Dorothy Adams, Chuck Roberson.
Cinematography: Franz F. Planer
Film Editor: Robert Swink...
- 6/9/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jj Abrams and Zachary Quinto are producing a movie for Paramount about the secret love affair between Tab Hunter and Anthony Perkins.
The project, titled “Tab & Tony,” is in early development without actors or a director attached. Playwright Doug Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “I am My Own Wife,” has been hired to write the screenplay.
Producers are Abrams through his Bad Robot company, his “Star Trek” collaborator Quinto, Hunter’s longtime partner Allan Glaser, and Neil Koenigsberg.
The movie is based on Hunter’s account of his struggle to come to terms with being gay in the 1950s. Hunter wrote the 2005 book “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” which became a New York Times bestseller and detailed his rise to Hollywood heartthrob status in the 1950s while he was being marketed as the ideal man, as well as his issues with revealing his sexuality...
The project, titled “Tab & Tony,” is in early development without actors or a director attached. Playwright Doug Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “I am My Own Wife,” has been hired to write the screenplay.
Producers are Abrams through his Bad Robot company, his “Star Trek” collaborator Quinto, Hunter’s longtime partner Allan Glaser, and Neil Koenigsberg.
The movie is based on Hunter’s account of his struggle to come to terms with being gay in the 1950s. Hunter wrote the 2005 book “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” which became a New York Times bestseller and detailed his rise to Hollywood heartthrob status in the 1950s while he was being marketed as the ideal man, as well as his issues with revealing his sexuality...
- 6/6/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival just wrapped up its 71st edition and the film with the biggest Oscar potential got a big boost at the closing ceremony. Spike Lee’s, “BlacKkKlansman,” the true story of an African-American cop who infiltrated the Kkk, took home the Grand Prix, the second highest prize of the festival. It was Lee’s first time competing on the Croisette since 1991 when “Jungle Fever” was in competition and was a bit of retribution for Lee after his widely acclaimed 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” received nothing from the jury.
If “BlacKkKlansman” were to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, it would be the second time a Grand Prix winner has gotten into the race for Oscar’s top honor. The first was “Life is Beautiful” in 1998. Thirteen past Grand Prix winners went on to earn 22 total Oscar nominations with five films scoring seven wins. Each...
If “BlacKkKlansman” were to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, it would be the second time a Grand Prix winner has gotten into the race for Oscar’s top honor. The first was “Life is Beautiful” in 1998. Thirteen past Grand Prix winners went on to earn 22 total Oscar nominations with five films scoring seven wins. Each...
- 5/20/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Many of MGM’s productions were scraping bottom in 1958, yet the studio found one more acceptable western vehicle for their last big star still on contract. Only-slightly corrupt marshal Robert Taylor edges toward a showdown with the thoroughly corrupt Richard Widmark in an economy item given impressive locations and the sound direction of John Sturges.
The Law and Jake Wade
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 12, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Owens, Robert Middleton, Henry Silva, DeForest Kelley, Henry Silva, Burt Douglas, Eddie Firestone.
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Film Editor: Ferris Webster
Written by William Bowers from a novel by Marvin H. Albert
Produced by William B. Hawks
Directed by John Sturges
As the 1950s wore down, MGM was finding it more difficult to properly use its last remaining big-ticket stars on the steady payroll, Cyd Charisse and Robert Taylor. Cyd...
The Law and Jake Wade
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 12, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Richard Widmark, Patricia Owens, Robert Middleton, Henry Silva, DeForest Kelley, Henry Silva, Burt Douglas, Eddie Firestone.
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Film Editor: Ferris Webster
Written by William Bowers from a novel by Marvin H. Albert
Produced by William B. Hawks
Directed by John Sturges
As the 1950s wore down, MGM was finding it more difficult to properly use its last remaining big-ticket stars on the steady payroll, Cyd Charisse and Robert Taylor. Cyd...
- 9/2/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In August 1983, Ronald Reagan was president, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police was in the middle of an eight-week run as the #1 single, Ivanka Trump wasn’t quite two years old, and few people were aware of the Church of Scientology. And “Risky Business,” the first movie to star Tom Cruise, became a surprise hit.
34 years later, Cruise is at a different kind of crossroads at the box office. He’s been charged with rebooting Universal’s Mummy franchise, which will launch the studio’s “Dark Universe” story world. And while “The Mummy” has already opened strongly in its first date (South Korea), projections here are considerably less kind. Reviews have ranged from disappointing to incendiary, and “Wonder Woman” is expected to soundly beat the film in its opening weekend.
Read More: Review: ‘The Mummy’ Is The Worst Tom Cruise Movie Ever
While “The Mummy” won’t be a career highlight,...
34 years later, Cruise is at a different kind of crossroads at the box office. He’s been charged with rebooting Universal’s Mummy franchise, which will launch the studio’s “Dark Universe” story world. And while “The Mummy” has already opened strongly in its first date (South Korea), projections here are considerably less kind. Reviews have ranged from disappointing to incendiary, and “Wonder Woman” is expected to soundly beat the film in its opening weekend.
Read More: Review: ‘The Mummy’ Is The Worst Tom Cruise Movie Ever
While “The Mummy” won’t be a career highlight,...
- 6/8/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Love in the Afternoon
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 130 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver, Van Doude, Lise Bourdin, Louis Jourdan, Betty Schneider.
Cinematography: William C. Mellor
Film Editor: Leonid Azar
Art Direction: Alexandre Trauner
Adapted Music: Franz Waxman
Written by: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond from a novel by Claude Anet
Produced and Directed by Billy Wilder
A favorite of Billy Wilder-philes, Love in the Afternoon is a strong expression of the ‘romantic-Lubitsch’ vein in Wilder’s work. It’s essentially a return to the early ’30s Lubitsch comedies with Maurice Chevalier, but played in a more bittersweet Viennese register. It’s also Wilder’s first collaboration with the comedy screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond. Together they fashion the predominantly verbal comedy machine that will carry them through three or four big hits, and a few losers that have become classics anyway.
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 130 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver, Van Doude, Lise Bourdin, Louis Jourdan, Betty Schneider.
Cinematography: William C. Mellor
Film Editor: Leonid Azar
Art Direction: Alexandre Trauner
Adapted Music: Franz Waxman
Written by: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond from a novel by Claude Anet
Produced and Directed by Billy Wilder
A favorite of Billy Wilder-philes, Love in the Afternoon is a strong expression of the ‘romantic-Lubitsch’ vein in Wilder’s work. It’s essentially a return to the early ’30s Lubitsch comedies with Maurice Chevalier, but played in a more bittersweet Viennese register. It’s also Wilder’s first collaboration with the comedy screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond. Together they fashion the predominantly verbal comedy machine that will carry them through three or four big hits, and a few losers that have become classics anyway.
- 1/31/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hey, we're having a Nuclear family crisis, so load up your shotgun, grab the grenades and head for the hills, stealing what you need as you go. Ray Milland's tense tale of doomsday survival shook up a lot of folks with its endorsement of ruthless violence. Fortunately the worst never happened, allowing us to ask, "Where were you in '62?" Panic in Year Zero! Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1962 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date April 19, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie Avalon, Mary Mitchel, Joan Freeman, Richard Bakalyan, Cinematography Gilbert Warrenton Production Designer Daniel Haller Film Editor William Austin Original Music Les Baxter Written by John Morton, Jay Simms Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff, Arnold Houghland, James H. Nicholson, Lou Rusoff Directed by Ray Milland
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
There's nothing like good old atom-scare hysteria, which Hollywood dished out as early as 1952's Invasion,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
There's nothing like good old atom-scare hysteria, which Hollywood dished out as early as 1952's Invasion,...
- 4/5/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Gary Cooper movies on TCM: Cooper at his best and at his weakest Gary Cooper is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 30, '15. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any Cooper movie premiere – despite the fact that most of his Paramount movies of the '20s and '30s remain unavailable. This evening's features are Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Sergeant York (1941), and Love in the Afternoon (1957). Mr. Deeds Goes to Town solidified Gary Cooper's stardom and helped to make Jean Arthur Columbia's top female star. The film is a tad overlong and, like every Frank Capra movie, it's also highly sentimental. What saves it from the Hell of Good Intentions is the acting of the two leads – Cooper and Arthur are both excellent – and of several supporting players. Directed by Howard Hawks, the jingoistic, pro-war Sergeant York was a huge box office hit, eventually earning Academy Award nominations in several categories,...
- 8/30/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Teresa Wright: Later years (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon.") Teresa Wright and Robert Anderson were divorced in 1978. They would remain friends in the ensuing years.[1] Wright spent most of the last decade of her life in Connecticut, making only sporadic public appearances. In 1998, she could be seen with her grandson, film producer Jonah Smith, at New York's Yankee Stadium, where she threw the ceremonial first pitch.[2] Wright also became involved in the Greater New York chapter of the Als Association. (The Pride of the Yankees subject, Lou Gehrig, died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 1941.) The week she turned 82 in October 2000, Wright attended the 20th anniversary celebration of Somewhere in Time, where she posed for pictures with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. In March 2003, she was a guest at the 75th Academy Awards, in the segment showcasing Oscar-winning actors of the past. Two years later,...
- 3/15/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Teresa Wright-Samuel Goldwyn association comes to a nasty end (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock Heroine in His Favorite Film.") Whether or not because she was aware that Enchantment wasn't going to be the hit she needed – or perhaps some other disagreement with Samuel Goldwyn or personal issue with husband Niven Busch – Teresa Wright, claiming illness, refused to go to New York City to promote the film. (Top image: Teresa Wright in a publicity shot for The Men.) Goldwyn had previously announced that Wright, whose contract still had another four and half years to run, was to star in a film version of J.D. Salinger's 1948 short story "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut." Instead, he unceremoniously – and quite publicly – fired her.[1] The Goldwyn organization issued a statement, explaining that besides refusing the assignment to travel to New York to help generate pre-opening publicity for Enchantment,...
- 3/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
On Dec. 12, the Academy released a shortlist of 79 songs in contention for best original song at the 87th Academy Awards, but it’s not so easy to predict which songs will be announced as nominees on Jan. 15. You can’t turn to potential best picture nominees — or best animated features, for that matter — to predict which songs make the final cut. Though a number of best picture nominees have also been nominated for best original song, there’s not much correlation between the two.
The original song category was first introduced at the 7th Annual Academy Awards, and the winner was “The Continental” from 1934’s The Gay Divorcee, also nominated for best picture.
Nineteen of the 80 Oscar-winning songs have come from best picture nominees. They are as follows:
“The Continental” — The Gay Divorcee (1934) “Over the Rainbow” — The Wizard of Oz (1939) “Swinging on a Star” — Going My Way...
Managing Editor
On Dec. 12, the Academy released a shortlist of 79 songs in contention for best original song at the 87th Academy Awards, but it’s not so easy to predict which songs will be announced as nominees on Jan. 15. You can’t turn to potential best picture nominees — or best animated features, for that matter — to predict which songs make the final cut. Though a number of best picture nominees have also been nominated for best original song, there’s not much correlation between the two.
The original song category was first introduced at the 7th Annual Academy Awards, and the winner was “The Continental” from 1934’s The Gay Divorcee, also nominated for best picture.
Nineteen of the 80 Oscar-winning songs have come from best picture nominees. They are as follows:
“The Continental” — The Gay Divorcee (1934) “Over the Rainbow” — The Wizard of Oz (1939) “Swinging on a Star” — Going My Way...
- 12/22/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ sequel could get killed by Paramount (photo: James Stewart and Donna Reed in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’) What would the world be like if any one individual human being had never been born? In most cases, the world would quite possibly be an infinitely better place, but the overwhelming majority of (delusional) humans want to feel good about themselves and their place on our overpopulated, fast-rotting planet. Hence movies such as Frank Capra’s 1946 sentimental fantasy drama It’s a Wonderful Life, released the year after the end of World War II — which reportedly left about 60 million human beings dead (plus countless other non-humans), in addition to millions more maimed, homeless, and/or psychologically destroyed. Starring James Stewart as Small Town America family man George Bailey, who almost kills himself but is prevented from doing so by an angel with way too much time in his hands,...
- 11/22/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Friendly Persuasion: Swanberg Hones His Craft
One of the most notable members of the Mumblecore crew, the often factious Joe Swanberg, at long last seems to have outgrown microbudget miasma with his latest, and arguably best directorial effort to date, Drinking Buddies. Oft criticized for his sloppy, rough around the edges, yet impressive amount of cinematic output (directing twelve films in the span of eight years, plus a good amount of acting gigs is nothing to sneer at), Swanberg seemed forever doomed to be on the wrong end of the quality vs. quantity debate. But now, with his latest mostly improvised gem, the union of content and imagery makes this his most visually pleasing glance at complicated adult relationships to date.
Kate (Olivia Wilde) works as an office manager at a Chicago craft brewery. She’s harried, unkempt, and the only female, but seems to have a comfortably playful...
One of the most notable members of the Mumblecore crew, the often factious Joe Swanberg, at long last seems to have outgrown microbudget miasma with his latest, and arguably best directorial effort to date, Drinking Buddies. Oft criticized for his sloppy, rough around the edges, yet impressive amount of cinematic output (directing twelve films in the span of eight years, plus a good amount of acting gigs is nothing to sneer at), Swanberg seemed forever doomed to be on the wrong end of the quality vs. quantity debate. But now, with his latest mostly improvised gem, the union of content and imagery makes this his most visually pleasing glance at complicated adult relationships to date.
Kate (Olivia Wilde) works as an office manager at a Chicago craft brewery. She’s harried, unkempt, and the only female, but seems to have a comfortably playful...
- 8/19/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The Cannes film festival is the single most prestigious film festival in the world. Known for fostering and cultivating cinematic auteurs from every region of the globe, it is a festival that commonly rewards films with high aspirations towards what the art of cinema could and should be. The festival’s highest honor, the Palme d’Or, has been bestowed on such lofty films as Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup, Lars Van Trier’s Dancer in the Dark, and Cristian Mungui’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days.
It may come as no surprise then, given Cannes’ inclination towards high-brow world cinema, that the Oscars and the Croisette don’t often cross paths in terms of which films they consider deserving of awards. In fact, only once has the Academy’s selection for Best Picture coincided with the Palme d’Or winner,...
It may come as no surprise then, given Cannes’ inclination towards high-brow world cinema, that the Oscars and the Croisette don’t often cross paths in terms of which films they consider deserving of awards. In fact, only once has the Academy’s selection for Best Picture coincided with the Palme d’Or winner,...
- 5/15/2013
- by Christopher Lominac
- Obsessed with Film
Anthony Perkins in Goodbye Again
Happy birthday to the man I call my Time Machine Husband (Tm), Anthony Perkins. The effete, beautiful actor best known for his astonishing performance as Norman Bates in Psycho would've been 81 today, and without even reading Charles Winecoff's gripping biography Split Image, you can tell in Mr. Perkins' performances that he was enigmatic, complicated, and conflicted. Though Perkins died of AIDS in 1992, his silver screenlegacy endures thanks to his lengthy, strange filmography.
Hollywood wanted Perkins to be the next James Dean, but his vulnerability and (frankly) apparent gayness stood at odds with that demand. As I like to say, we can't rewrite cinematic history to include all the wonderful gay characters we deserve, so we as gay entertainment anthropologists have to find our stories in the nuances, innuendos, and otherwise untold stories hidden right onscreen (perhaps unintentionally), right within all the stated heterosexuality. Though...
Happy birthday to the man I call my Time Machine Husband (Tm), Anthony Perkins. The effete, beautiful actor best known for his astonishing performance as Norman Bates in Psycho would've been 81 today, and without even reading Charles Winecoff's gripping biography Split Image, you can tell in Mr. Perkins' performances that he was enigmatic, complicated, and conflicted. Though Perkins died of AIDS in 1992, his silver screenlegacy endures thanks to his lengthy, strange filmography.
Hollywood wanted Perkins to be the next James Dean, but his vulnerability and (frankly) apparent gayness stood at odds with that demand. As I like to say, we can't rewrite cinematic history to include all the wonderful gay characters we deserve, so we as gay entertainment anthropologists have to find our stories in the nuances, innuendos, and otherwise untold stories hidden right onscreen (perhaps unintentionally), right within all the stated heterosexuality. Though...
- 4/4/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Actor who starred as the troubled pupil in Tea and Sympathy on stage and screen
The actor John Kerr, who has died aged 81, won a Tony award in his first starring role on the Broadway stage, as Tom in Tea and Sympathy in 1953, and subsequently appeared in the 1956 film version directed by Vincente Minnelli. Robert Anderson's play, in which a schoolboy "confesses" to his housemaster's wife that he might be homosexual – only to be seduced out of the notion by the sympathetic listener – was considered so controversial that it was restricted to a "members only" theatrical run in London, and Minnelli's film received an X certificate, despite modification, notably in the suggestion that the housemaster was gay.
Kerr starred as the boy, although by then he was in his 20s. Born in New York, son of the actors Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, he had already graduated from Harvard,...
The actor John Kerr, who has died aged 81, won a Tony award in his first starring role on the Broadway stage, as Tom in Tea and Sympathy in 1953, and subsequently appeared in the 1956 film version directed by Vincente Minnelli. Robert Anderson's play, in which a schoolboy "confesses" to his housemaster's wife that he might be homosexual – only to be seduced out of the notion by the sympathetic listener – was considered so controversial that it was restricted to a "members only" theatrical run in London, and Minnelli's film received an X certificate, despite modification, notably in the suggestion that the housemaster was gay.
Kerr starred as the boy, although by then he was in his 20s. Born in New York, son of the actors Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, he had already graduated from Harvard,...
- 2/11/2013
- by Brian Baxter
- The Guardian - Film News
I interrupt American Idol's streak of fabulous female singers for a special bulletin: A young troubadour named Paul Jolley just became the most valuable singer in the competition thanks to his eerie sweetness and topaz complexion. He has a fine voice too, but that's deeply unimportant right now.
Here's what we should be thinking about: His name is Jolley, which is how my loins feel right now. 2) He sang Rascal Flatts, which means AfterElton readership has to rescue this child. 3) He auditioned while dressed in a turquoise shirt and white pants, as if he were Dinah Shore shopping at Pacific Sunwear. He's like Doris Day in those togs. Suzanne Pleshette on vacay. Elizabeth Montgomery eleganza. 4) You can tell by his constant gesturing and fluttery eyelashes that he really loves... God. Yes. He is one of those.
Did I mention that he looks like 22-year-old Anthony Perkins in Friendly Persuasion?...
Here's what we should be thinking about: His name is Jolley, which is how my loins feel right now. 2) He sang Rascal Flatts, which means AfterElton readership has to rescue this child. 3) He auditioned while dressed in a turquoise shirt and white pants, as if he were Dinah Shore shopping at Pacific Sunwear. He's like Doris Day in those togs. Suzanne Pleshette on vacay. Elizabeth Montgomery eleganza. 4) You can tell by his constant gesturing and fluttery eyelashes that he really loves... God. Yes. He is one of those.
Did I mention that he looks like 22-year-old Anthony Perkins in Friendly Persuasion?...
- 1/25/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Cute-as-a-button, self-owned homosexual Sal Mineo would've been 74 today, which is pretty young considering the man garnered the first of his two Oscar nominations 57 years ago. Rebel Without a Cause made him a star, and though the actor's career went through ups and downs until his murder in 1976, he's legendary for his sheer talent and unprecedented openness about his sexual orientation. Mineo came out in the late '60s, and that decision wasn't even popular among some of his homosexual contemporaries. (Looking at you, Roddy McDowall.)
As a gay man who cares about film history, I find myself seeking out homosexual stories in the subtexts and subversive moments of old films because none existed in the foreground. Watch Anthony Perkins as a gunshy soldier in Friendly Persuasion. Watch Farley Granger gulp libidinously next to John Dall in Rope. You can't help but discover shards of gayness in these parts, whether they're intentionally presented or not,...
As a gay man who cares about film history, I find myself seeking out homosexual stories in the subtexts and subversive moments of old films because none existed in the foreground. Watch Anthony Perkins as a gunshy soldier in Friendly Persuasion. Watch Farley Granger gulp libidinously next to John Dall in Rope. You can't help but discover shards of gayness in these parts, whether they're intentionally presented or not,...
- 1/10/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
As the Academy celebrates 85 years of great films at the Oscars on February 24th, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is set to take movie fans on the ultimate studio tour with the 2013 edition of 31 Days Of Oscar®. Under the theme Oscar by Studio, the network will present a slate of more than 350 movies grouped according to the studios that produced or released them. And as always, every film presented during 31 Days Of Oscar is an Academy Award® nominee or winner, making this annual event one of the most anticipated on any movie lover’s calendar.
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
- 12/17/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
All moviegoing human beings go through a horror fixation at some point, and part of that ride is discovering that scary movies feature pleeeeenty of hot men. Sure, it's mostly the female babysitters and big-breasted sorority girls who steal most of the screen time, but tons of notable horror flicks feature hunks in key roles. And in key death sequences. Which is somehow therapeutic to me. Don't ask.
In honor of October's shadowy pall, here are the 10 greatest hunks of horror. Pay attention, because some of these gents may pop up again in our Best Movie Ever column this month.
10. Rider Strong, Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever is so gross, but so righteously bizarre. Part of its appeal is the eminently lovable Rider Strong, the Boy Meets World alum who rents a cabin in the woods with his idiotic friends and suffers the wrath of a disgusting virus. But before the bloody bombast takes over,...
In honor of October's shadowy pall, here are the 10 greatest hunks of horror. Pay attention, because some of these gents may pop up again in our Best Movie Ever column this month.
10. Rider Strong, Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever is so gross, but so righteously bizarre. Part of its appeal is the eminently lovable Rider Strong, the Boy Meets World alum who rents a cabin in the woods with his idiotic friends and suffers the wrath of a disgusting virus. But before the bloody bombast takes over,...
- 10/2/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Dodsworth William Wyler: Record-Setting Oscar Director for Actors Pt.1 Ah, William Wyler also happens to be the director with the most Academy Award nominations: twelve in all. For the record, those are: Dodsworth, 1936; Wuthering Heights, 1939; The Letter, 1940; The Little Foxes, 1941; Mrs. Miniver, 1942; The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946; The Heiress, 1949; Detective Story, 1951; Roman Holiday, 1953; Friendly Persuasion, 1956; Ben-Hur, 1959; and The Collector, 1965. He won the Best Director Oscar for three films — none of which is among his best: Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Ben-Hur. Considering the changes that have taken place in the American film industry following the demise of the studio system, barring a miracle Wyler will remain the Oscars' top director for actors for as long as there are Oscars. (See full list below.) William Wyler died of a heart attack in July 1981 in Los Angeles. William Wyler-directed movies: thirty-six acting nominations; fourteen wins.
- 2/22/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
William Wyler was one of the greatest film directors Hollywood — or any other film industry — has ever produced. Today, Wyler lacks the following of Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Frank Capra, or even Howard Hawks most likely because, unlike Hitchcock, Ford, or Capra (and to a lesser extent Hawks), Wyler never focused on a particular genre, while his films were hardly as male-centered as those of the aforementioned four directors. Dumb but true: Films about women and their issues tend to be perceived as inferior to those about men — especially tough men — and their issues. The German-born Wyler (1902, in Alsace, now part of France) immigrated to the United States in his late teens. Following a stint at Universal's New York office, he moved to Hollywood and by the mid-'20s was directing Western shorts. His ascent was quick; by 1929 Wyler was directing Universal's top female star, Laura La Plante in the...
- 2/22/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.