Learning about Earle Williams from original newspaper articles between 1908-1931. Once the most popular movie star, Earle Williams faded in the 1920s. His story ends tragically in 1931, four years after his death.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Joe Donahue, “World’s Greatest Dancer” and Sunny Co-Star
Digging into Joe Donahue, talented vaudevillian dancer who replaced his late brother, Jack, opposite Marilyn Miller in the film version of Sunny. He also appeared in Expensive Women and two Dorothy Mackaill titles during his stay with First National, 1930-31. Piecing together some of the mysterious Donahue’s life and discovering, once and for all, the date he died.
Carole Lombard, Part 1: From Jane Peters to Mrs. William Powell
Part 1 of a Carole Lombard biography covers her turbulent early screen career of the 1920s through her rise to stardom and marriage to William Powell in 1931.
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.
Miriam Hopkins Biography — Star of Stage and Screen, 1902-1972
Biography of Miriam Hopkins (1902-1972), whose legacy should be her racy and sophisticated Paramount pre-Code output—not her feud with Bette Davis, or missing out on Gone With the Wind despite being Margaret Mitchell’s favorite for Scarlett O’Hara.
Barbara Stanwyck, Biographical Beginnings to Baby Face and Beyond
A Barbara Stanwyck biography that leaps over Hollywood highlights in favor of her early days as Ruby Stevens, including the popular theory about her name change. Following that a jump forward to look at Stanwyck’s later career. A brief case is made for Baby Face (1933) as her defining performance.
Movie Reviews & Articles
My Woman (1933) Starring Helen Twelvetrees and Wallace Ford
Brief notes are exactly that, just some stream of consciousness thoughts from my viewing of My Woman starring Helen Twelvetrees, Wallace Ford, and Victor Jory.
Born to Be Bad (1934) Starring Loretta Young, Cary Grant
A pre-Code entry released so late into the period that it was boycotted and even banned. Loretta Young plays another customer’s girl in Born to Be Bad, co-starring Cary Grant and Jackie Kelk. One of fewer than two dozen 20th Century Pictures entries before they merged with Fox Films.
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) Starring Fredric March
A review of Warner Brothers 1944 biopic The Adventures of Mark Twain starring Fredric March whose performance rises above an uneven though interesting story.
Edward G. Robinson’s Incredible Performance in Two Seconds (1932)
Two Seconds didn’t seem like anything special for about a half an hour, then Edward G. Robinson kicked into full gear and delivered so much more than I ever expected.
Stage Struck (1936) Starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell
Busby Berkeley’s Stage Struck (1936) is a Warner Brothers musical missing the typical Berkeley flare. Starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell with Warren William it’s an at times bizarre movie that doesn’t measure up to earlier classics Berkeley worked on, but still entertaining at times providing a few laughs.
Cheela the Ape stars in Captive Wild Woman with John Carradine
John Carradine’s first horror lead, “Captive Wild Woman” (1943) from Universal has definite roots in one of that company’s staples, the classic “Frankenstein” …