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Movie Profiles & Premiums Newsletter Vol.4 #8
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Cliff Aliperti
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Aug 16, 2006 22:33 PDT
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Movie Profiles & Premiums Volume 4, Number 8. August 15, 2006
Brought to you by http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com
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This is the plain text version of the newsletter. Read this online in
html format and loaded with pictures of movie collectibles at:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/issues/movie-newsletter-04-08.htm
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Welcome back, hope you had a great month! We open with quite a few site
announcements, auction notes, new and updated Photo ID Guides for
collectibles, DVD release announcements, before finally getting to this
months new profile and slide show -- Marilyn Monroe. The Marilyn
profile is written by Susan M. Kelly and can be found at the bottom of
this issue, but I also hope you enjoy all of the news and notes before
it as well:
I made what I consider to be some improvements to the site since last
month, which you've probably noticed if you're interested in any of the
card and collectible information on the site (which I hope you are!).
The contents pages for cards and collectibles have been combined into a
single index:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/0-cards-and-collectibles-index.htm
The index lists items chronologically over six pages with each item
having a little flag denoting country of origin for each particular
issue as well as icons denoting whether they are new, updated, and in
some cases highly recommended. The recommended pages have shooting
stars next to them, and these are the pages which I'm most proud of,
those which I consider the best resources for those particular
collectibles found anywhere!
I've purchased several vintage collectibles lately, and so the auction
scene will be picking up in the coming weeks. The action on the eBay
Storefront though will be a different story.
Auctions: http://tinyurl.com/lpyrj
The recent eBay price gouge on store sellers will make it difficult to
list lower-priced items as I've done in the past. As many of you know
through updates in this newsletter I had been researching alternatives
for almost a year now and have finally made my purchase. Prior to the
eBay fee hike I had intended to keep my movie collectibles for sale in
my eBay store (using the new store as a magazine outlet for my other
site), however I'm now pretty excited and anxious to get my new private
online store up and running and include a detailed movie collectibles
section there.
I purchased X-Cart software, which does involve a good deal of set-up
and has a bit of a learning curve, but my plan is to have all of my
stock listed in that shop by the end of the year. Since this store will
be my own, paid in full with no eBay-style boss to answer to, I will be
taking care to heavily integrate every listing in the new store with the
movie profiles, reviews, and photo ID pages found on this site. I
really think it's going to be pretty cool when I'm all set to open and
hope you do as well. (I just hope people can find me!). So be on the
lookout for a prominent announcement once this new store is ready for
business, and wish me luck!
X-Cart: http://www.xcart.com/
Auctions will continue to run on eBay as per usual and items sitting on
my desk but coming to you soon include single cards from the early
edition of the 1929 Movie-Land Keeno Game, a handful of early postcards
of silent stars, a break-up on another 1917 Kromo Gravure Set, and
several singles from the 1933-1938 M23 Philadelphia Supplement series --
on this last item my purchase included several supplements I had not
seen before, and so I have complete updated the M23 Philadelphia
Supplement Photo ID Page. If you collect 'em, check it out, there are
quite a few new ones listed:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/ephemera/1936-m23-philadelphia.htm
Another, more recent, yet still exciting item that I've come across
recently are the beautiful color prints found inside the John Ford
Cowboy Kings of Western Fame collection. I've created a full Photo ID
Guide for this 1973 issue and the 24 single prints are at auction on
eBay this week with bidding opening at $6.99-$9.99. The issue includes
giants of the Western as selected by John Ford shortly before his death
-- there are 24 blazing color prints, illustrated by Will Williams, each
measuring 11" X 16" and perfect for matting and/or framing. Stars
include William S. Hart, Tom Mix, William Boyd, Bob Steele, Gary Cooper,
Jimmy Stewart, and John Wayne.
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/ephemera/1973-john-ford.htm
The John Ford Cowboy Kings issue appears to have been initially issued
in a numbered limited edition of 500 copies in 1973, and then I believe
the first hardcover edition was published in 1974 and is still pretty
rare. I wasn't familiar with this issue before, but I had been watching
one on another auction site which had opened around $100 and blew me
away by selling for about $400 -- and this wasn't the limited edition.
I went hunting after that, had to have one set of these, and by the time
that I finished I had two! I broke this first set to make singles
available since I know there are a lot of cowboy collectors out there.
The second set that I have is a little nicer than the first and I plan
to make it available as a set, but I do want to see how these singles
sell first. So, bid away:
http://tinyurl.com/zujxw
I've added a page about 1936's Bullets or Ballots to Cliff's DVD List,
and hope to add some more mini-reviews (I prefer opinions) to this
section soon. I had mentioned it last issue, but in case you forgot,
I'm now including links to the most recent handful of
mini-reviews/opinions at the bottom right corner of the home page. It's
a good place to check in between issues if you're worried that you
missed something.
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/dvd-list/bullets-or-ballots.htm
A couple of brand new box sets that I'm mulling over, but that fans
should go buy right now, have been issued for Jimmy Stewart and Ronald
Reagan. Frankly, I'm not very interested in the Reagan set, but I'm a
huge baseball fan and I had really wanted to pick up just The Winning
Team (about Grover Cleveland Alexander), however for some reason it is
not (yet?) available individually. Other films in the Reagan collection
are the highly anticipated release of Knute Rockne All-American, Kings
Row, Storm Warning, and The Hasty Heart.
Ronald Reagan DVD Set: http://tinyurl.com/em55l
More interesting to me is the Jimmy Stewart collection beginning once
again with baseball tale, The Stratton Story, and also including the
excellent The F.B.I. Story (interesting side note, the book that this
film was based on was dedicated to someone who used to live next store
to me by the author, his grandfather), two classics that I've never seen
but want to: The Spirit of St. Louis and The Naked Spur, and then a
couple of much more recent film, The Cheyenne Social Club and Firecreek,
which I'm not too interested in. I'll probably pick this set up later
this week (and so look for it on the DVD List!).
Jimmy Stewart DVD Set: http://tinyurl.com/hwzwx
Both retail for just $49.95, which is a pretty good deal considering
what you receive, but since they're brand new releases Amazon has them
on sale currently for just $34.95, which is a great price!
I'm not a huge fan, but I'm awaiting the arrival of the recent Ava
Gardner book by Lee Server -- the book currently has a five-star rating
based on 17 customer reviews over on Amazon, which is pretty darn good!
I've been looking for another good movie book to read, so hopefully this
will be it.
I hadn't heard back from him, but I had also been contacted recently by
David Menefee, who has authored The First Female Stars: Women of the
Silent Era, and who wanted to announce the release of the only available
DVD's of Sarah Bernhardt in Camille and Bernhardt's rival Eleonora Duse
in her only film, Cenere. I hadn't heard back from David, but I see
both items are available in his eBay listings:
The First Female Stars: http://tinyurl.com/kl3k3
Camille on DVD: http://tinyurl.com/g3zs2
For those interested in acquiring Clara Bow films on DVD, I've purchased
a couple of copies from eBay seller lfdvds and been pretty happy. He
describes his releases quite well and lets you know about any glitches
or quality problems. The two DVDs I've purchased have been better than
described.
lfdvds listings: http://tinyurl.com/r59rv
While I'm at it, don't forget the growing collection of DVDs offered by
my friend Brad Lang of Classic Movies.org. Brad's now offering a few
hundred out-of-print titles on his Free Classic Movies on DVD page. For
example, I just ordered Honkytonk with Clark Gable and Lana Turner and I
Married a Witch with Veronica Lake this week!
Free Classic Movies on DVD: http://www.freemoviesondvd.com/
Another item of interest that we have to look forward to in the near
future is the planned November 2006 release of the Louise Brooks
classic, Pandora's Box, as item #358 in The Criterion Collection.
Details can be found on The Criterion Collection's site found here:
http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=358
Our featured star this issue, though of a little more recent vintage
than usual, has been a somewhat criminal omission four to five years
into the history of this site -- Marilyn Monroe as written by regular
contributor Susan M. Kelly:
Marilyn Monroe by Susan M. Kelly --
Read it on the site with images and links:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/profiles/marilyn-monroe.htm
Or read it in full at the bottom of this issue (text only)
Plus:
The Marilyn Monroe Collectible Slide Show:
http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/collectibles-slide-shows/marilyn-monroe.htm
Okay, I'm all done rambling. When I sit down to put together the next
issue of The Movie Profiles and Premiums Newsletter, scheduled for
September 15, I expect some beautiful, cooler weather and I can't wait.
I'm hoping to officially announce the new store's opening with that
issue and to bring you a new piece in The Silent Collection by Tammy
Stone. Thanks, and have a great month!
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Marilyn Monroe by Susan M. Kelly
Born to an absentee father and a mentally impaired mother, young Norma
Jean Mortenson seemed destined for a life of hardship and obscurity.
Though the lonely little girl would grow up to become one of the most
recognizable faces in Hollywood history, she remained a lost child at
heart, struggling to find acceptance and a place in the world, right up
until her tragic end.
Norma Jean came into the world on June 1, 1926, the daughter of Gladys
and a father who left his wife two months before their daughter was
born. Gladys gave her daughter the last name of a man she had dated
before Norma’s father and she grew up Norma Jean Baker, a shy, quiet,
confused little girl. Gladys was in and out of mental institutions
throughout Norma’s childhood, forcing the girl to be taken into foster
care and, at nine, into an orphanage.
Upon leaving the orphanage, the 16 year old Norma married 21 year old
James Dougherty in 1942. The marriage was ill-fated, ending in divorce
just four years later, by which time Norma was working as a model. It
was then that she made what would become a fortuitous decision when she
bleached her naturally dark hair blonde. Shortly thereafter some
publicity shots came to the attention of RKO pictures chief Howard
Hughes, who offered her a screen test. An agent suggested she sign with
the bigger and more prestigious 20th Century Fox instead and she was
inked to a six month deal.
Upon signing with 20th Century Fox, Norma Jean was urged to change her
name to something more marquee friendly and at the suggestion of the
studio, she was christened Marilyn Monroe. She began her career with
bit parts in films such as “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim” (1947) and
“Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!” (1948). Her initial performances didn’t
impress and 20th Century Fox declined to renew her contract. She
briefly went back to modeling and attended acting school before being
picked up by Columbia Pictures, where she was cast as Peggy Martin in
“Ladies of the Chorus” (1948), a role which allowed her to showcase her
musical skills. The reviews were favorable for Marilyn, though not for
the film itself, but she was dropped by Columbia nonetheless and
returned to modeling.
In 1949 she posed for what would become arguably the most famous pin-up
calendar shot of all time and would eventually become the first ever
centerfold for Playboy magazine. The following year, Marilyn finally
managed to find her niche in Hollywood, receiving excellent reviews for
her work in “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950) for MGM and “All About Eve”
(1950) for Fox. Though small, her roles in both films would endear her
to audiences as the ditzy but sexy blonde bombshell.
Over the next few years she appeared in a steady stream of films
including “Love Nest” (1951), “Don’t Bother to Knock” (1952) and “Monkey
Business” (1952). In 1953 she was cast as scheming showgirl Lorelei Lee
in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, a film which featured her now trademark
performance of “Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend”. The same year, she
made headlines when she married New York Yankee great Joe DiMaggio. The
union of the beauty and the quiet superstar seemed something out of a
Hollywood script but unfortunately for Marilyn it too was ill-fated,
lasting only eight months.
By the time she met and married DiMaggio, Marilyn had become a genuine
box office draw and she continued to stretch her acting muscles with
roles in “How to Marry a Millionaire” (1953) and “There’s No Business
Like Show Business” (1954). In 1955 she made another trademark
appearance in “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), as she famously stood on a
subway grate while her dress was blown up around her by a passing subway
train. Her status as the object of desire for millions of movie goers,
particularly men, was now complete, yet something of the lost, lonely
girly still remained in Marilyn. She longed to prove herself as a
serious actress and to that end she studied with renowned acting coach
Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio in New York.
She emerged from her studies and immediately gave a powerful performance
in “Bus Stop” (1956), winning critical acclaim for the role. The same
year she married for the third time, to playwright Arthur Miller. On
the heels of her success in “Bus Stop”, she flew to Britain to film “The
Prince and the Showgirl” (1957), which proved to be a flop. Exhausted,
Marilyn took a year off before returning with yet another brilliant
comic turn opposite Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in “Some Like It Hot”
(1959). The film was a smash and Marilyn appeared to be on top of the
world professionally, but her personal demons were quickly catching up
to her.
She would appear in only two more films, “Let’s Make Love” (1960), and
“The Misfits” (1961), a powerful drama written for her by Miller and
directed by the legendary John Huston. Though her performance was a
success her behavior was becoming increasingly erratic. Marilyn and
Arthur Miller divorced later that year, leaving her once again alone,
afraid and horribly insecure. Though she was cast in “Something’s Got
to Give” (1962), her increasing absenteeism forced 20th Century Fox to
fire her. She withdrew to her Los Angeles home, where she would be
found dead of an apparent drug overdose on August 5, 1962.
Though her image as the ultimate blonde bombshell continues to live on,
the burden of insecurity, instability and isolation took Marilyn Monroe
far too early. She spent her short life trying desperately to fit in
and wanting only to be loved and through her indelible performances and
her incomparable image, she has finally found a home in the hearts of
millions of fans.
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Susan M. Kelly is a freelance writer who lives and works in Dunellen,
New Jersey.
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