Unraveling truth and myth in the life of character actor Stanley Fields. Born Walter L. Agnew, you’ll know him from Cimarron, Little Caesar (1931), Island of Lost Souls (1932), Algiers (1938), and several other major 1930s Hollywood releases.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Joan Fontaine Biography, Book Review, TCM Summer Under the Stars Preview
A biography of Oscar winning actress Joan Fontaine including a review of her 1978 autobiography No Bed of Roses plus a preview of Fontaine-day on TCM’s Summer Under the Stars, August 6, 2013.
Glenda Farrell Biography and 1930s Hollywood Heyday
An appreciation of Glenda Farrell’s 1930s Hollywood characterizations, especially Torchy Blane, combined with a complete biography of Farrell.
Loretta Young TCM Star of the Month January 2013 Centennial
A biography of Loretta Young, the January 2013 TCM Star of the Month on the centennial of her birth. Rare Loretta Young quotes and the entire TCM schedule along with images of vintage collectibles.
Kathleen Burke Wins Nationwide Contest! The Road to Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls
A look at Paramount’s Summer 1932 nationwide contest to cast Lota, the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls. Focus on the eventual Panther Woman winner, Kathleen Burke. Lots of old news clippings.
Louis Wolheim – Biography of the All Quiet on the Western Front Star
A look at the life and career of Louis Wolheim, star of the All Quiet on the Western Front on screen, and the originator of key roles in The Hairy Ape and What Price Glory? on stage.
Movie Reviews & Articles
The Richest Girl in the World (1934) Starring Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea
Miriam Hopkins plays “The Richest Girl in the World” (1934) with hopes of landing a husband on her own merits and despite her money. Joel McCrea is her prospect. With a look at then currently celebrated heiresses Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke.
Blood Money (1933) Starring George Bancroft, Frances Dee
One of three pre-Code titles directed by temperamental Rowland Brown, Blood Money (1933) stars George Bancroft as a bail bondsman to the underworld with Frances Dee as a young kleptomaniac with an “underworld mania” and a desire for a strong man to dominate her. Feature debut for Judith Anderson.
Fritz Lang’s Fury (1936) Starring Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney
Spencer Tracy breaks out in Fritz Lang’s Fury from MGM in 1936. MGM gives Tracy his most important role to date in Fury, co-starring Sylvia Sidney.
In Old Chicago (1937) starring Power, Ameche, Faye, with a Biographical Aside about Oscar Winner Alice Brady
In Old Chicago (1937) shows off young 20th Century-Fox players Tyrone Power, Don Ameche and Alice Faye to great advantage, but it was Alice Brady who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After an introduction to the film this post includes a brief biography of Brady who portrayed Molly O’Leary.
China Seas (1935) starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow
The Clark Gable and Jean Harlow teaming peaks in China Seas, the 4th of their 6 MGM pairings, a tale of love and piracy at sea also starring Wallace Beery and Rosalind Russell.
H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) – King Vidor Brings John P. Marquand Bestseller to Life
Comparing King Vidor’s adaptation of H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) to the novel by John P. Marquand, and why both tellings are wonderful. Excellent performances from Robert Young and Hedy Lamarr trickle down throughout the entire cast, most of who are perfect representations of the characters Marquand created on the page. It’s a quiet story that tells a lot in the end.