Later in life Helen Hayes said all that was left for her to achieve was a good rose garden. The First Lady of American Theater managed much more than that over her 80 year career on stage and screen.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Humphrey Bogart Seeks Hollywood Party, Rises to Stardom
TCM examines Humphrey Bogart as major film star during their August 1 Summer Under the Stars presentation. Here we trace his stardom backwards from High Sierra down to a 1930 newspaper interview which finds Bogie on the hunt for a Hollywood party.
Alan Dinehart Biography, Hollywood Talkies Claim Another from Broadway
A look at the life of Hollywood character actor Alan Dinehart headlines the Immortal Archives for October 3. Also includes TCM Picks for the day and more.
Bonita Granville Bullet Bio
Biographical information about Bonita Granville, Oscar nominated child star of These Three and later Nancy Drew on screen. Also personal observations of Granville’s appearances opposite Mickey Rooney in two Hardy series entries.
Mary Dees – Piecing Together Life of Jean Harlow’s Saratoga Stand-In
A complete biography of Mary Dees, the extra and stand-in who filled in for Jean Harlow after Harlow’s tragic death during the filming of Saratoga. Culled from numerous American and Australian sources with a few published inaccuracies contradicted and corrected.
Dwight Frye’s Last Laugh – Before and Beyond Dracula and Frankenstein
Dwight Frye is legendary for his roles in the Universal horror classics Dracula and Frankenstein. The 1997 biography Dwight Frye’s Last Laugh chronicles the actor’s fast rise to surprising heights and even quicker fall.
Movie Reviews & Articles
Gladys George Is Madame X (1937), Plus Brief Biography
A history of Madame X concentrates on the 1937 film version starring Gladys George. Includes a biography of Gladys George with comparison to Ruth Chatterton’s 1929 performance.
The Doorway to Hell (1930) Starring Lew Ayres and James Cagney
A deep look at the early gangster movie The Doorway to Hell (1930) with focus on stars Lew Ayres, James Cagney and Dorothy Mathews. Warner Brothers precursor to Little Caesar and The Public Enemy.
Peter Lorre stars in MGM’s Mad Love (1935)
The madness of Peter Lorre’s Doctor Gogol in MGM’s Mad Love places him more within the realm of Doestoevsky’s Raskalnikov than it does with traditional monsters of the flesh
The Solitaire Man (1933) Starring Herbert Marshall and Lionel Atwill
MGM tries to capitalize upon Herbert Marshall’s success in Trouble in Paradise with The Solitaire Main (1933). With Lionel Atwill, Elizabeth Allan, May Robson and Mary Boland.
Tyrone Power and Alice Faye – In Old Chicago (1937), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938) and Rose of Washington Square (1939)
Tyrone Power and Alice Faye shared a May 5 birthday and shared early fame in hit movies In Old Chicago (1937), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938) and Rose of Washington Square (1939). This post looks at the hit Twentieth Century-Fox team and each of their three movies together.
The Cat Creeps (1930) – Universal’s (Mostly) Lost Dark House
A look at lost Universal horror film The Cat Creeps (1930) starring Helen Twelvetrees. Contemporary reaction. Piecing the lost film together from Boo! and various versions of The Cat and the Canary.