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Movie Profiles & Premiums Newsletter Vol.3 #12
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Cliff Aliperti
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Jul 01, 2005 00:05 PDT
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Movie Profiles & Premiums Volume 3, Number 12. June 30, 2005
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FIRST REEL:
Just a brief intro to our June 30 issue, as I'm sure everybody in the
States will be very busy the next few days celebrating the holiday.
Still, I hope you find the time to look through this issue if not now
sometime after all of your fireworks are gone. No major overhauls to
the site since the last issue, so there isn't really much to discuss in
this spot anyway. I do want to once again mention the "Books & Movies"
Forum (http://wildcity.proboards14.com/index.cgi?board=Books) hosted by
our puzzler Carly Svamvour and her husband Jeff. It's a very friendly
community over there, especially our hosts. Feel free to check it out,
post a review, reply to to one already written, ask a question, or just
read over what's been written.
A quick word on the separate Auction Notes Supplement to this
Newsletter. The Supplement contains nothing but quick notes and a few
images of items for sale during the coming week on eBay. I send it out
weekly, Saturday or Sunday. If you're not receiving it and would like
to, please send me a request at thi-@things-and-other-stuff.com.
Please refer to "Auction Notes," even place it in the subject line if
you can. Here's a link to a sample of an early edition:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/auction%20notes.htm
For interested collectors, here are the key links to my items currently
for sale:
All eBay Auctions:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=things-and-other-stuff&sort=3&rows=25&since=-1&include=0&showpics=1&stab=1
eBay Store (5,000+ listings at this time!):
http://stores.ebay.com/things-and-other-stuff?refid=store
On to our show, in summary, here are the opening credits...
1. Silents and Other Flicks, A Crossword Puzzle by Carly Svamvour
2. Solution to June Ladies, A Crossword Puzzle by Carly Svamvour
3. Photo ID Guide: 1917-20 T&D and Kinema Theatre Advertising Cards
4. William Powell by Susan M. Kelly
5. Photo ID Guide: 1936-38 M23 Philadelphia Record Supplement Photos
6. Photo ID Guide: 1923-26 Mon Cine Supplement Photos
7. The Silent Collection featuring Olive Thomas by Tammy Stone
Lots of brand new Photo ID Guides this issue because I've been buying up
some neat stuff over the past few weeks. Enjoy them! Carly's back with
a new crossword puzzle, plus it's kind of a request month for with our
profiles as both Susan M. Kelly and Tammy Stone obliged me with profiles
of stars I had mentioned specifically to each of them. Susan tackles
the debonair William Powell and Tammy adds legendary Olive Thomas to her
Silent Collection.
Quick Olive Thomas note: I've edited the date of birth for Ms. Thomas in
Tammy's profile from 1894 to 1898. As I read the profile I noticed that
a lot of the time the given age of Olive Thomas in certain years didn't
match up with the given date of birth. Tammy doesn't make mistakes, so
I surfed the net and came across two common years, 1894 and 1898.
Taking an educated guess 1898 seems to be correct, so that's what I've
used. I think the problem here is that if 1894 is incorrect, then the
imdb has used the wrong date, and the imdb is such a well-trafficked
site that the 1894 date has been accepted by several other sources as
well. If anyone can clear this up with any kind of certainly please let
me know, and if I'm wrong about 1898 I'll most definitely correct it. A
minor note, probably explained in too much detail, but I let these
things bug me for some reason!
Spencer Shannon is back. This time, inspired by current theater release
Cinderella Man, he gives us a Top 5 Classic Boxing films list. Feel
free to reply with your own list of Boxing or Sports-related Classics
and I'll publish them here next issue. Write to
thi-@things-and-other-stuff.com.
By Spencer Shannon-(AFI member/Variety's "Oscar-Oracle!")
My Personal Top 5 Classic Boxing Movies:
(* denotes Oscar winner)
1) "The Set-Up" (1949) (RKO) Robert Ryan (1909-73), a vastly underrated
actor, was actually a college boxing champ! It shows here, in a
depiction of the lowest end of this sport.
2) "Body and Soul" (1947) (UA) John Garfield (1913-52) won a second &
last shot at an OSCAR here. It's Editing was awarded. Note: several.
boxing flix win that particular "Golden Boy." No pun intended as
Garfield played "Golden Boy" on stage, but was passed over for '39
picture?
3) "The Harder They Fall" (1956) Bogart film which also stars former
champ Max Baer, who is later a featured character in 2005's "Cinderella
Man".
4) "The Champ" (1932) (M-G-M) *Wallace Beery took home his sole Best
Actor win here, though officially it was a tie with: *Fredric March,
Beery was 1 vote behind (?) Though he seems out of shape here, Beery is
47 and looks much older on screen. They actually sped up the film in
order to make it more credible. Still a heart warmer & 12 year old
Jackie Cooper is terrific! Remade in '79 with *Jon Voight.
5) "Gentleman Jim" (1942) This was Errol Flynn's own favorite role. He
actually suffered a heart attack during filming! A bio of the second
heavyweight champion ever, James J. Corbett. Has Warner Bros. stock
players in grand support, most notably Ward Bond as John L. Sullivan.
Spence does rightfully count the more recent "Raging Bull" (1980) as his
all-time favorite boxing related film. Of what he names here I really
enjoyed "The Set-Up," a gritty film recently out on DVD in one of the
Film Noir boxed sets. Also, "Gentleman Jim," one which I saw when I was
very young and has stuck in my mind through the years. The other night
I caught the annoying Flynn biopic "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" (1985) on
cable and Flynn was shown wishing he could be more of an actor rather
than just a star. Well, Gentleman Jim is definitely a star vehicle, and
as such, quite a bit of fun. Not available on DVD as yet, the VHS for
"Jim" is out of print, but you can probably find a copy on eBay or
Amazon in the $10-$15 range if you're interested.
There you go, and into the time tunnel we go:
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Silents and Other Flicks, A Crossword Puzzle
By Carly Svamvour
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/ENTERTAINMENT/ASTOS/puzzles/063005%20puzzle.htm
Access this issue's new crossword puzzle at the link above. Answers to
be revealed next issue. For the solution to last issue's puzzle,
June Ladies, click the following link:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/ENTERTAINMENT/ASTOS/puzzles/053105%20solution.htm
Carly Svamvour is a writer who makes her home in the west end of
Toronto, Canada. She has published her poems, short prose pieces and
puzzles in many places throughout Canada and the U. S. A. She is
currently working on her photo-journals with an eye to success at being
a travel writer. See more of Carly at Wild City Times - click here
(http://wildcity.proboards14.com/index.cgi?action=logout) for the
magazine and online writing workshop.
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Photo ID Guide:
1917-20 T&D and Kinema Theatre Advertising Cards
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/ENTERTAINMENT/prices%20realized%20ID%20folder/1917%20td%201919%20kinema.htm
Click the link above for images & details!
Small 1-3/4" X 2-3/4" movie star cards with ads on back for the latest
coming attractions. I haven't seen any of these before, assumed to be
rare.
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William Powell
By Susan M. Kelly
Urbane, smooth, suave and debonair…never were those terms more aptly
applied to a member of the Hollywood elite than to William Powell. His
ability to invest even the most unpalatable characters with elegance and
charm allowed him to move from heavy to leading man without losing his
drawing power. He was even able to make the most difficult transition
of all, from silent films to talkies, with great ease - without spilling
as much as a drop of his ever present scotch!
Born on July 29, 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Powell was appearing
on the Broadway stage by 1912, already developing the cultured manner
that would later serve him so well in Hollywood. He made his film debut
in John Barrymore’s 1922 version of “Sherlock Holmes” and shortly
thereafter signed with Paramount. He found regular employment
throughout the remainder of the silent era, appearing in such Paramount
offerings as “The Bright Shawl” (1923), “Romola” (1924), “Beau Geste”
(1926) and as George Wilson in “The Great Gatsby” (also 1926).
In 1928 he landed the juicy role of the cruel movie director, Leo, who
torments Emil Jannings in “The Last Command". After gaining attention
with the role, he made a few more silent films before making his talkie
debut in “Interference” (1929). While sound proved to be the death
knell for many an acting career, it actually boosted Powell’s stock
thanks to his clear, cultured voice. Later in ‘29, he would finally
achieve true stardom when he appeared as gentlemen detective Philo Vance
in “The Canary Murder Case”. Investigating the death of a scheming
showgirl named “The Canary” (played by Louise Brooks), Vance found
himself up against the odds and lacking witnesses, yet he managed to
solve the case with panache. Powell would reprise the role of Vance
that same year in “The Greene Murder Case” and later in “The Benson
Murder Case” (1930) and finally, after moving to Warner Brothers, in the
best of the Vance films, 1933’s “The Kennel Murder Case”.
Though his stock went up with “The Canary Murder Case”, the roles at
Paramount began to dwindle and, after starring opposite then wife Carole
Lombard in “Ladies’ Man” (1931), he moved on to Warner Brothers. He was
immediately cast in several top flight films, including “High Pressure”
and “Lawyer Man” (both 1932), which let him flex his comedic muscles and
“Jewel Robbery” and “One Way Passage”, both of which saw him briefly
teamed with Kay Francis. By 1934, Powell had become a top box office
draw and he once again found himself shifting studios, this time jumping
to the head of the class with a contract at MGM.
He began the year by appearing opposite Clark Gable in “Manhattan
Melodrama”. The film also featured Myrna Loy and the two were quickly
re-teamed later that year for a low-budget adaptation of Dashiell
Hammett’s “The Thin Man”. Starring as socialite sleuths Nick and Nora
Charles, Powell and Loy were the epitome of class as they exchanged
witty remarks, sipped their seemingly endless supply of cocktails, and
solved the mystery with the help of their pet terrier, Asta. Powell
earned his first Oscar nomination for the role, a part he seemed born to
play.
1935 would find Powell starring opposite platinum blonde superstar Jean
Harlow, to whom he would later become engaged, in “Reckless”. In 1936,
Powell and Loy reunited for the first of five Thin Man sequels, “After
the Thin Man”, and also starred opposite each other in “The Great
Ziegfeld”, with Powell as Flo Ziegfeld to Loy’s Billie Burke. Ziegfeld
would win that year’s Best Picture Oscar.
With the success of the Thin Man films and Ziegfeld, Powell was at the
height of his box office popularity and found himself loaned out several
times to other studios. RKO cast him opposite Ginger Rogers in 1935’s
“Star of Midnight” and Jean Arthur in 1936’s “The Ex-Mrs. Bradford”,
while Universal paired him with ex-wife Carole Lombard in the classic
screwball comedy “My Man Godfrey” (1936). The role of Godfrey, rich man
turned derelict before being hired as butler to the madcap Bullock
family, would net Powell his second Oscar nomination.
Powell soon returned to MGM and made several more films in 1937,
including “Double Wedding” again opposite Myrna Loy. While he was
working on that film, tragedy struck as his beloved Jean Harlow suddenly
took ill on another soundstage and was rushed to the hospital where she
would eventually die. Her death took a terrible toll on Powell, who
found himself unable to work as he battled depression and other serious
health problems of his own for over a year. He eventually returned to
the studio and the familiar role of Nick Charles in “Another Thin Man”
(1939).
As the 1940’s dawned, he made three more films with Myrna Loy, including
“I Love You Again” (1940) and “Shadow of the Thin Man” (1941). He
continued to work steadily over the next few years, but the films he was
offered were not of the highest quality and he eventually made the tough
choice to leave MGM and freelance. By this time, an aging Powell
realized he was beyond the point where he could credibly continue to
portray urban socialites and he ventured into more diverse roles,
including the starring role in “Life With Father” (1947). His portrayal
of the eccentric father would earn him his third Oscar nomination and he
followed it in quick succession with “The Senator Was Indiscreet”
(1947), as a rakish politician and “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” (1948)
as a confused fisherman.
In 1951 he returned to MGM for a cameo appearance in “It’s a Big
Country” and in 1953 played Elizabeth Taylor’s father in “The Girl Who
Had Everything”. He rounded out a long and distinguished career with
one final, notable role as a worldly wise doctor in 1955’s “Mister
Roberts” before quietly retiring to Palm Springs. While frequently
offered “comeback” roles over the ensuing years, he always
declined…politely, of course. Would we expect anything less from
Hollywood’s ultimate gentleman?
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Susan M. Kelly is a freelance writer who lives and works in Dunellen,
New Jersey.
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Visit the William Powell Collectibles Slide Show:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/photogallery/powellwilliam.htm
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Photo ID Guide:
1936-38 M23 The Philadelphia Record Supplements
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/ENTERTAINMENT/prices%20realized%20ID%20folder/1936%20M23%20phisupp.htm
Click the link above for images & details!
These familiar supplements have now been identified as being labeled M23
by Burdick in the American Card Catalog. The Photo ID Guide includes a
checklist, some conclusions I've drawn myself about the issue and, of
course, photos.
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Photo ID Guide:
1923-26 Mon Cine Supplement Photos
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/ENTERTAINMENT/prices%20realized%20ID%20folder/1920s%20moncine.htm
Click the link above for images & details!
From the French movie magazine "Mon Cine" come these attractive
blank-backed supplement photos. Each is dated on front and the ones
that I acquired are pretty sharp. All are shown in this gallery. The
first time I've come across these.
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The Silent Collection by Tammy Stone
Olive Thomas
Olive Thomas’s life and death are, ironically, the stuff movies are made
of. Of the many silent starlets who had their moments of superstardom
before fading into the dawn of the sound age, Olive perhaps stands out
as the biggest case of “what if.” Because Olive’s life and career came
to an abrupt and tragic end while she was at the peak of her success,
it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not she would have usurped the
likes of Clara Bow, Madge Bellamy, Josephine Baker and others as the
biggest flapper starlet of her generation.
Olive was born Oliveretta Elaine Duffy on October 20, 1898 in Charleroi,
Pennsylvania. Her name in itself presages a life of disproportionate
glamour and almost operatic melodrama. Pennsylvania at the time was in
the throes of the Industrial Age, and as a very work-intensive state,
was more than filled with its labourers, grit and smoky air. All in all,
not an exotic place to be. Olive spent her uneventful childhood in
school, until she dropped out and married at the age of 16. Bernard Krug
Thomas was evidently not an ideal husband – they divorced after two
years, and Olive fled to New York in hopes of a better life.
Single in the big city, Olive found work at a department store and wiled
away the hours waiting, as it seems now, for life to happen. And then it
did: there was a competition being held for Most Beautiful Girl in New
York City – can you imagine a competition like that being held today?
She must have had great self-esteem, because she didn’t hesitate to
enter, and lo and behold, she won. Of course, she garnered a lot of
press with this victory, and her gorgeous face was suddenly known about
town. And here’s where her story takes a familiar turn for us silent
film star fans.
The brunette beauty caught the attention of none other than Florenz
Ziegfeld of the Ziegfeld Follies. He immediately felt she could be a
huge star, and within days she was out of her department store job and
performing as a Ziegfeld girl. Not only was she talented enough to make
a real go of it, but audiences were literally riveted by her charisma
and ethereal good looks. Of course, all this was still on a relatively
minor scale, the world not yet having been completely revolutionized by
the mass entertainment medium that is the movies. But word of Olive was
travelling pretty far – Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas commissioned her
to pose nude, a matter of extreme prestige then as now. All of this
happened within a year.
All of this excitement more or less led to the signing of her first film
contract, with Triangle Pictures. She was 17 years old when she made her
debut feature, Beatrice Fairfax, in 1916. Around that time, and still at
such a young age, she married for the second time. Lucky husband number
two was none other than Jack Pickford, brother of the famed Mary
Pickford, godmother of Hollywood cinema. As with all great Hollywood
romances – at least as far as publicity is concerned – their
relationship was rocky at the best of times, which only fuelled the
press machine and helped her achieve even greater star status.
In 1917, while cinema was still in relative infancy, Olive starred in
several films, including Madcap Madge, A Girl Like That, An Even Break,
Broadway Arizona and Indiscreet Corinne. Her career was going as well as
could have ever hoped for. Audiences loved her, the industry loved
working with her, and she was A-list in every sense of the term; this at
a time when there had been very few A-listers before her. In way, she
was defining the term.
And who better than her? Look at the photos. She’s gorgeous. She
continued to make films at a fairly rapid rate. Some highlights include:
Limousine Life and Heiress For a Day (both 1918); Toton the Apache, The
Follies Girl, Love’s Prisoner, The Spite Bride, The Glorious Lady and
Out Yonder (all 1919); Footlights and Shadows, Youthful Folly, The
Flapper, Darling Mine and her last film, Everybody’s Sweetheart (1920).
The latter films spoke to her reflection of a new age, in which the
woman wasn’t the cute tomboy or the submissive housewife, or the young
ingénue; but rather, the bold, new woman for the new century, the beacon
of the freedom represented by the roaring 20s. She of course best
captured this new woman in The Flapper, the film that swept the nation
and truly catapulted Olive into what would have been an enormously
lucrative career.
However, after filming Everybody’s Sweetheart, she and Jack set sail on
vacation. Olive never returned. Reports indicate that near
Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, she accidentally swallowed poisonous
bichloride of mercury from a bottle that was mislabelled. Or perhaps it
was dark in the room where she took it and didn’t see what she was
ingesting. Rumours also abound after the fact, because the entire
incident reeked of suspicion. In the end, after months of news headlines
and an investigation, Olive’s death was ruled accidental.
She was only 21 when she died. She had just made her best and most
successful film, and the world adored her. She was modern, she was
cutting edge, and she was about to launch on an enviable road to glamour
girl stardom. Her life was cut short, but like many victims of untimely
death – Natalie Wood and James Dean, for example – she has become the
stuff of legend. In 2003, a Rosanna Arquette-narrated documentary was
made entitled Olive Thomas: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,
celebrating the life and films of this remarkable ingénue who never had
the chance to become one of the brightest stars of the silent era.
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Tammy Stone is a freelance writer and journalist based in Toronto. Watch
for her regular column on the greats of the Silent Screen in each issue
of ASTOS. Tammy invites you to write her at tammyst-@yahoo.ca with
any questions or comments on her column.
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Visit the Olive Thomas Collectibles Slide Show:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/photogallery/thomasolive.htm
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End Credits:
Here's wishing everyone a great 4th of July weekend, hopefully the east
coast doesn't stay soggy enough to ruin barbeques and boating! Next
issue will be delivered July 31 with weekly Auction Notes for those who
receive them in between.
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As always feel free to e-mail any thoughts or ideas to us at
thi-@things-and-other-stuff.com, we're always willing to listen.
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Unsubscribe simply by sending a blank e-mail to:
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