A biography of two-time Academy Award winning actor Melvyn Douglas enhanced by several Douglas quotes from the 1960s and ’70s. Also, Douglas in Golden Age Hollywood.
Adrianne Allen – Private Lives Star, Also Two Paramount Pre-Code Gems
A biography of Adrianne Allen, actress who rose to fame in Noel Coward’s Private Lives. Her sparse film career included two 1932 Paramount gems, MERRILY WE GO TO HELL and THE NIGHT OF JUNE 13TH. The former Mrs. Raymond Massey and mother of actors Daniel Massey and Anna Massey.
Una Merkel – Biographical Notes and Quotes
A critique of the 2012 TCM Una Merkel birthday schedule along with highlights of her biography and several quotes attributed to her throughout her career.
John Boles, Sinatra of the 30s and Elvis Presley of the Stone Age
John Boles appeared in Universal’s Frankenstein, three Shirley Temple films, and co-starred with many of Hollywood’s most beloved leading ladies. Do you remember him?
David Landau, the Pre-Code Era’s Own Bitter Man
A biography of gruff character actor David Landau including his background, stage career and brief movie career as Hollywood’s bitter man of the pre-code era.
William Frawley Before I Love Lucy
A look at William Frawley in the years before he achieved his greatest fame as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Special attention is paid to his baseball movies and his early days on the vaudeville circuit and Broadway. The article is illustrated with seven promotional photos from the 1939 film St. Louis Blues.
Elissa Landi Star of Stage and Screen, Author, Royalty?
I worked from over two dozen sources in this biographical post about the interesting life and career of Classic Film Star Elissa Landi, star of The Sign of the Cross (1932). Also includes a look at her fascinating parents–her father tried to raise the Lusitania, her mother claimed to be the unrecognized daughter of Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria!
Dudley Digges on Film and Stage
A look at the career of Irish born character actor Dudley Digges beginning with his appearances in classic films of the 1930’s and 40’s before looking back at his stage origins with the Irish National Theatre in 1904 and long run on Broadway.
Thomas Mitchell – His Varied Career
A brief biography of the popular supporting actor Thomas Mitchell including original quotes taken from a 1939 autobiographical piece in Screen & Radio Weekly.
Madge Evans – Typical American Girl is No Typical Classic Movie Star
A brief biography of silent child star and adult star of 1930’s talkies Madge Evans, who appeared in Dinner at Eight and David Copperfield. Heavily illustrated with vintage movie cards and collectibles.