At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Since the second Academy Awards ceremony in 1930, 73 people have received acting Oscar nominations for their debut film performances, yielding a total of 15 breakout wins. Conversely, the list of actors who have earned recognition for their final movie appearances is much smaller, featuring only 18 general and two successful examples. Those who belong to this club gained entry in a variety of ways, with some having voluntarily quit acting altogether, others having specifically stepped away from film performing, and a few having sadly not lived long enough to bask in the glory of their farewell nominations.
Since film acting retirement can never be absolutely permanent while a performer is still alive, only deceased individuals can correctly be counted as official members of this group. Although most currently living retired actors did not pick up Oscar nominations for their latest films anyway, the academy did smile upon one – Daniel Day-Lewis – on his declared way out.
Since film acting retirement can never be absolutely permanent while a performer is still alive, only deceased individuals can correctly be counted as official members of this group. Although most currently living retired actors did not pick up Oscar nominations for their latest films anyway, the academy did smile upon one – Daniel Day-Lewis – on his declared way out.
- 11/28/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Colman Domingo is having a moment. The veteran actor has been nominated for two Tonys in his career, but lately it’s his on-screen work that has brought him the most attention. He won his first Emmy in 2022 for guesting on “Euphoria.” He received numerous plaudits for his role in the independent film “Zola.” And he has had additional film credits including Oscar winners “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Next he could become the 13th performer ever nominated for two Oscars in the same year.
As of this writing, based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users, Domingo ranks fourth in our odds for Best Actor for playing the unsung civil rights hero Bayard Rustin in “Rustin.” And he places fifth in our odds for Best Supporting Actor for playing Mister in the upcoming musical adaptation of “The Color Purple.” But we...
As of this writing, based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users, Domingo ranks fourth in our odds for Best Actor for playing the unsung civil rights hero Bayard Rustin in “Rustin.” And he places fifth in our odds for Best Supporting Actor for playing Mister in the upcoming musical adaptation of “The Color Purple.” But we...
- 8/8/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
In 1982, 76-year-old Henry Fonda finally won a long-overdue Best Actor Oscar trophy, becoming the oldest Best Actor winner up to that time. His last acting nomination had been in 1941, and he has held the record for the longest gap between acting nominations — until now. Judd Hirsch has broken Fonda’s 41 year record 41 years after it was set, earning his second supporting nomination for “The Fabelmans” 42 years after his bid for “Ordinary People.”
SEEJudd Hirsch (‘The Fabelmans’): ‘I’m the alien dinosaur’ for director Steven Spielberg [Exclusive Video Interview]
Hirsch isn’t the only one returning to the Oscar ballot decades after a nomination. Angela Bassett is back 29 years after her Best Actress nomination for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and is now nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This isn’t the first time the Academy has recognized a performer years — even decades — later.
There have...
SEEJudd Hirsch (‘The Fabelmans’): ‘I’m the alien dinosaur’ for director Steven Spielberg [Exclusive Video Interview]
Hirsch isn’t the only one returning to the Oscar ballot decades after a nomination. Angela Bassett is back 29 years after her Best Actress nomination for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and is now nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This isn’t the first time the Academy has recognized a performer years — even decades — later.
There have...
- 2/24/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In 1982, 76-year-old Henry Fonda finally won a long-overdue Best Actor Oscar trophy, becoming the oldest Best Actor winner up to that time. His last acting nomination had been in 1941, and he has held the record for the longest gap between acting nominations — until now. Judd Hirsch has broken Fonda’s 41 year record 41 years after it was set, earning his second supporting nomination for “The Fabelmans” 42 years after his bid for “Ordinary People.”
Hirsch isn’t the only one returning to the Oscar ballot decades after a nomination. Angela Bassett is back 29 years after her Best Actress nomination for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and is now nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This isn’t the first time the Academy has recognized a performer years — even decades — later.
There have been 38 actors and actresses who have a span of at least 20 years between competitive acting nominations.
Hirsch isn’t the only one returning to the Oscar ballot decades after a nomination. Angela Bassett is back 29 years after her Best Actress nomination for “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and is now nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This isn’t the first time the Academy has recognized a performer years — even decades — later.
There have been 38 actors and actresses who have a span of at least 20 years between competitive acting nominations.
- 2/23/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
It was the evening of February 29, 1940. The 12th Annual Academy Awards were scheduled to be held at the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the same facility where Robert Kennedy would be assassinated some 28 years later. But on this night, a different sort of history would be made. Hattie McDaniel, the actress who starred as Mammy, the head slave at the fictional Southern plantation Tara in the Civil War epic “Gone with the Wind,” would accept an Oscar for supporting actress. In the process, she would become the first African American performer to be so honored.
Yet despite the undeniable progress inherent in McDaniel’s triumph, that night 83 years ago was rife with racist and humiliating overtones for McDaniel, the daughter of two former slaves. It began with her being barred from the “Gone with the Wind” world premiere on December 15, 1939 at the Loew’s...
Yet despite the undeniable progress inherent in McDaniel’s triumph, that night 83 years ago was rife with racist and humiliating overtones for McDaniel, the daughter of two former slaves. It began with her being barred from the “Gone with the Wind” world premiere on December 15, 1939 at the Loew’s...
- 2/15/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
When Michelle Williams entered the Best Actress Oscar race for “The Fabelmans,” that put Steven Spielberg in line to become the fifth person to direct Oscar winners in all four acting categories. That, of course, is still possible, but someone else may beat him to that quartet set this season: Martin McDonagh.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is looking increasingly strong to nab four acting nominations for lead Colin Farrell and supporting players Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. All four earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice bids last week. At the Oscars, McDonagh needs Farrell to win Best Actor and Condon to win Best Supporting Actress to complete his collection as he previously directed “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) stars Frances McDormand to a Best Actress prize and Sam Rockwell to a Best Supporting Actor statuette.
If that happens, McDonagh will join William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese,...
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is looking increasingly strong to nab four acting nominations for lead Colin Farrell and supporting players Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. All four earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice bids last week. At the Oscars, McDonagh needs Farrell to win Best Actor and Condon to win Best Supporting Actress to complete his collection as he previously directed “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) stars Frances McDormand to a Best Actress prize and Sam Rockwell to a Best Supporting Actor statuette.
If that happens, McDonagh will join William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Best Actress, the most stacked Oscar race of the year, got even more competitive last week when Michelle Williams opted to campaign in the lead category for Steven Spielberg‘s “The Fabelmans” instead of supporting. If she prevails in March, Spielberg will become just the fifth person to have directed Oscar winners in all four acting categories.
The two-time Best Director champ would follow in the footsteps of William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese. Thus far, Spielberg has directed 15 nominated performances, yielding three wins, and perhaps most remarkably, all three have occurred in the last decade. Daniel Day-Lewis became the first performer to win for a Spielberg film when he garnered his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar for “Lincoln” (2012). Spielberg then watched Mark Rylance pull off a Best Supporting Actor upset for “Bridge of Spies” (2015) and Ariana DeBose sweep the season in Best Supporting Actress for last year’s “West Side Story.
The two-time Best Director champ would follow in the footsteps of William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese. Thus far, Spielberg has directed 15 nominated performances, yielding three wins, and perhaps most remarkably, all three have occurred in the last decade. Daniel Day-Lewis became the first performer to win for a Spielberg film when he garnered his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar for “Lincoln” (2012). Spielberg then watched Mark Rylance pull off a Best Supporting Actor upset for “Bridge of Spies” (2015) and Ariana DeBose sweep the season in Best Supporting Actress for last year’s “West Side Story.
- 9/27/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
William Wyler was a three-time Oscar winner who crafted several classics during Hollywood’s Golden Age, adapting his style to a wide variety of genres. Let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth” (1936), “Wuthering Heights” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “The Heiress” (1949), “Detective Story” (1951), “Roman Holiday...
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth” (1936), “Wuthering Heights” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “The Little Foxes” (1941), “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “The Heiress” (1949), “Detective Story” (1951), “Roman Holiday...
- 6/29/2022
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play The Children’s Hour, set in an all-girls boarding school, is getting a shot at the small screen with Anonymous Content and Bess Wohl adapting.
The play was adapted as a feature film in 1961. starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner and Fay Bainter.
Set in the 1930s, The Children’s Hour tells the story of two women who run an all-girls school in a fictional New England town and are falsely accused of having an “unnatural” lesbian relationship by one of their students. The allegation upends the women’s lives, destroys their careers and forces them to reckon with the true nature of their friendship.
Wohl, who made her Broadway debut in 2019 with her play Grand Horizons and is writing an episode of Scott Z. Burns’ climate-change anthology series Extrapolations for Apple, is adapting the play as a limited series.
Two-time Pulitzer finalist Jon Robin Baitz,...
The play was adapted as a feature film in 1961. starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner and Fay Bainter.
Set in the 1930s, The Children’s Hour tells the story of two women who run an all-girls school in a fictional New England town and are falsely accused of having an “unnatural” lesbian relationship by one of their students. The allegation upends the women’s lives, destroys their careers and forces them to reckon with the true nature of their friendship.
Wohl, who made her Broadway debut in 2019 with her play Grand Horizons and is writing an episode of Scott Z. Burns’ climate-change anthology series Extrapolations for Apple, is adapting the play as a limited series.
Two-time Pulitzer finalist Jon Robin Baitz,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In order to avoid splitting votes and allow for the possibility of netting two acting nominations this year, Searchlight Pictures will campaign Andrew Garfield’s performance as televangelist Jim Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” for supporting actor consideration, based on an invite that was sent to BAFTA voters for an upcoming virtual screening of the film.
Following the biopic’s bow at the Toronto International Film Festival and modest box office receipts, its Oscar prospects have been seemingly on the fringe, but the film, directed by Michael Showalter, could make a roaring comeback during the season. Garfield’s co-star Jessica Chastain, who plays his wife Tammy Faye, will angle for lead actress, and could become a central piece of a competitive race that includes Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penelope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”) and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”).
The 38-year-old actor, who graced the cover of Variety‘s TIFF issue last month,...
Following the biopic’s bow at the Toronto International Film Festival and modest box office receipts, its Oscar prospects have been seemingly on the fringe, but the film, directed by Michael Showalter, could make a roaring comeback during the season. Garfield’s co-star Jessica Chastain, who plays his wife Tammy Faye, will angle for lead actress, and could become a central piece of a competitive race that includes Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penelope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”) and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”).
The 38-year-old actor, who graced the cover of Variety‘s TIFF issue last month,...
- 10/4/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
We're revisiting 1937 this month leading up to the next Supporting Actress Smackdown. As always Nick Taylor will suggest a few alternates to Oscar's ballot.
We begin 1937 with Fay Bainter, the third-ever winner of the Supporting Actress Oscar for Jezebel in 1938 (you may have heard about it last year!) in Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow. McCarey viewed the film as his greatest achievement, to the point that when he received his Best Director Oscar for The Awful Truth the same year Make Way for Tomorrow earned no nominations, he opened his acceptance speech by saying he won for the wrong movie. We can discuss the considerable merits of both films about couples splitting up and staying together, along with how brilliantly they showcase McCarey’s skills with tone, blocking, performance shaping, scene construction, as well as its enduring legacy in films like Tokyo Story and Love is Strange. Bainter...
We begin 1937 with Fay Bainter, the third-ever winner of the Supporting Actress Oscar for Jezebel in 1938 (you may have heard about it last year!) in Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow. McCarey viewed the film as his greatest achievement, to the point that when he received his Best Director Oscar for The Awful Truth the same year Make Way for Tomorrow earned no nominations, he opened his acceptance speech by saying he won for the wrong movie. We can discuss the considerable merits of both films about couples splitting up and staying together, along with how brilliantly they showcase McCarey’s skills with tone, blocking, performance shaping, scene construction, as well as its enduring legacy in films like Tokyo Story and Love is Strange. Bainter...
- 9/16/2021
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
Oscars voters have always loved seeing actors whose startling physical transformations come after countless hours in the makeup chair.
After Renée Zellweger (“Judy”), Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”) and Charlize Theron (“Monster”) won Oscars for their impressively-altered looks, Jessica Chastain could be on a similar path for her role as the media-loving televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in Michael Showalter’s “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Following a world bow at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Searchlight Pictures dramedy, echoing previous Oscar embraces such as “I, Tonya,” could make Chastain a contender for her third nomination, and could bring in a few other notices if campaigned correctly.
Chastain’s previous Oscar noms came in supporting actress for “The Help” (2011) and actress for “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012). She also serves as one of the producers for the film, along with Kelly Carmichael, Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane. While “Tammy Faye” could...
After Renée Zellweger (“Judy”), Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”) and Charlize Theron (“Monster”) won Oscars for their impressively-altered looks, Jessica Chastain could be on a similar path for her role as the media-loving televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in Michael Showalter’s “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Following a world bow at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Searchlight Pictures dramedy, echoing previous Oscar embraces such as “I, Tonya,” could make Chastain a contender for her third nomination, and could bring in a few other notices if campaigned correctly.
Chastain’s previous Oscar noms came in supporting actress for “The Help” (2011) and actress for “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012). She also serves as one of the producers for the film, along with Kelly Carmichael, Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane. While “Tammy Faye” could...
- 9/13/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Bradley Cooper quickly racked up eight Oscar nominations over the course of just seven years, but he hasn’t won yet. However, this year he has two chances for acting prizes: Best Actor for Guillermo Del Toro‘s “Nightmare Alley” and Best Supporting Actor for an as yet untitled Paul Thomas Anderson film. Those happen to be our top two Oscar contenders for Best Picture according to our early odds. So could he end up with two nominations? And if so, could he win one or both of them?
See‘A Star is Born’ again at 2022 Oscars? Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper could return to lead acting races
It’s crucial to preface all this by pointing out that Del Toro and Anderson’s films haven’t screened for press or audiences yet, so everything could change once they see the light of day. But with Del Toro hot off...
See‘A Star is Born’ again at 2022 Oscars? Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper could return to lead acting races
It’s crucial to preface all this by pointing out that Del Toro and Anderson’s films haven’t screened for press or audiences yet, so everything could change once they see the light of day. But with Del Toro hot off...
- 9/3/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
When the 2020 Oscar nominations were announced, Scarlett Johansson attracted attention by earning two for acting. With inclusions in both the Best Actress (“Marriage Story”) and Best Supporting Actress (“Jojo Rabbit”) categories, she was the first actor in 12 years who had a chance at winning two acting Academy Awards on the same night. She ultimately lost both bids, but the feat placed her in the rare company of only 11 others who have achieved it since the supporting categories were introduced at the Oscars in 1937.
Here is a screen-time based analysis of all of them, from earliest to most recent. We note the names and screen time of key rival nominees and the winners in each race as well.
Fay Bainter (1939)
Best Actress nominee for “White Banners”
Best Supporting Actress winner for “Jezebel”
Combined: 1 hour, 15 minutes, 57 seconds
Just four years after beginning her film acting career, Bainter earned her first two Oscar nominations in the same year,...
Here is a screen-time based analysis of all of them, from earliest to most recent. We note the names and screen time of key rival nominees and the winners in each race as well.
Fay Bainter (1939)
Best Actress nominee for “White Banners”
Best Supporting Actress winner for “Jezebel”
Combined: 1 hour, 15 minutes, 57 seconds
Just four years after beginning her film acting career, Bainter earned her first two Oscar nominations in the same year,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Only eight actors in history have been nominated for Oscars posthumously. Only 12 actors have been nominated twice in the same year. Chadwick Boseman, sadly, could make history this Oscar season by winding up on both of those lists.
The actor, who died in August of this year after a battle with colon cancer that he hadn’t publicly disclosed, has been considered a solid Best Supporting Actor contender for months for his role in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.” And with initial press screenings of George C. Wolfe’s Broadway adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” taking place this week, Boseman makes a formidable case for Best Actor attention as well.
The role he plays in “Ma Rainey,” a volatile trumpet player named Levee, led to a 1985 Tony Award nomination for Charles S. Dutton in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. That category is the Tonys...
The actor, who died in August of this year after a battle with colon cancer that he hadn’t publicly disclosed, has been considered a solid Best Supporting Actor contender for months for his role in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.” And with initial press screenings of George C. Wolfe’s Broadway adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” taking place this week, Boseman makes a formidable case for Best Actor attention as well.
The role he plays in “Ma Rainey,” a volatile trumpet player named Levee, led to a 1985 Tony Award nomination for Charles S. Dutton in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. That category is the Tonys...
- 11/15/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to leave Hollywood studios in flux, there are still key decisions being discussed internally about the Oscars, such as actors’ placements in the acting categories. With six months until the Academy Awards, there are several factors needed in order to set a film up for awards season success. Without events to campaign and (metaphorically) kiss babies, the performances and films will be speaking for themselves.
Like the industry, Oscar predictions are in flux, but the biggest unknown is in the male acting categories, which are showing a real fluidity and will continue to do so throughout the season. One of the major questions regards the late Chadwick Boseman and where Netflix will campaign him for his upcoming work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” While many pundits and prognosticators assume he will ultimately fall within the supporting actor category, there are rumblings that he could be campaigned as a lead actor.
Like the industry, Oscar predictions are in flux, but the biggest unknown is in the male acting categories, which are showing a real fluidity and will continue to do so throughout the season. One of the major questions regards the late Chadwick Boseman and where Netflix will campaign him for his upcoming work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” While many pundits and prognosticators assume he will ultimately fall within the supporting actor category, there are rumblings that he could be campaigned as a lead actor.
- 10/15/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In the Supporting Actress Smackdown series we take a particular Oscar vintage and explore it with a panel of artists and journalists. This episode goes way back to 1938.
The Actresses & Characters
In 1938 the Academy was still evolving and the "Best Supporting Actress" category was just three years old. Still, their all time favourite type (the long-suffering wife/mom) was already showing its strength. Other then-popular character types like 'the vamp' (Milja Korjus in The Great Waltz) and ditzy/funny moms (Billie Burke in Merrily We Live! and Spring Byington in You Can't Take It With You) didn't stay in vogue with the Academy for as long. In 1938 we also got an historic first: Fay Bainter was the first actor to be double-nominated, competing in both Lead (White Banners) and Supporting (Jezebel) categories simultaneously, winning the latter. Will our panel agree?
The Panelists
Here to talk about these performances and movies...
The Actresses & Characters
In 1938 the Academy was still evolving and the "Best Supporting Actress" category was just three years old. Still, their all time favourite type (the long-suffering wife/mom) was already showing its strength. Other then-popular character types like 'the vamp' (Milja Korjus in The Great Waltz) and ditzy/funny moms (Billie Burke in Merrily We Live! and Spring Byington in You Can't Take It With You) didn't stay in vogue with the Academy for as long. In 1938 we also got an historic first: Fay Bainter was the first actor to be double-nominated, competing in both Lead (White Banners) and Supporting (Jezebel) categories simultaneously, winning the latter. Will our panel agree?
The Panelists
Here to talk about these performances and movies...
- 9/17/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Another Classic Hollywood Problem Film?”
By Raymond Benson
Recently there was hue and cry about the new streaming service HBO Max and their decision to remove the 1939 Oscar-winning classic Gone with the Wind from their lineup because of its no-question-about-it racial stereotypes. While the intention might be admirable, there is also the danger of destroying a part of cultural history that should be studied and learned from, rather than rendering it invisible. Besides, viewers have a choice to watch a movie, unlike, say, gazing at a statue on public display that is there for all to see no matter what.
Another Hollywood classic from the same era that certainly falls into identical “problem” areas is William Wyler’s Jezebel, which earned Bette Davis her second Oscar, awarded supporting actress Fay Bainter a trophy, and was nominated for Best Picture of 1938. It, too, is...
“Another Classic Hollywood Problem Film?”
By Raymond Benson
Recently there was hue and cry about the new streaming service HBO Max and their decision to remove the 1939 Oscar-winning classic Gone with the Wind from their lineup because of its no-question-about-it racial stereotypes. While the intention might be admirable, there is also the danger of destroying a part of cultural history that should be studied and learned from, rather than rendering it invisible. Besides, viewers have a choice to watch a movie, unlike, say, gazing at a statue on public display that is there for all to see no matter what.
Another Hollywood classic from the same era that certainly falls into identical “problem” areas is William Wyler’s Jezebel, which earned Bette Davis her second Oscar, awarded supporting actress Fay Bainter a trophy, and was nominated for Best Picture of 1938. It, too, is...
- 7/8/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
LGBTQ films have evolved from indie fare to major studio productions in the past 60 years. While few gay movies were made before the Stonewall standoff in 1969, they are now a mainstay. Indeed, movies with LGBTQ themes often feature in the race for Oscars. Take a look at our photo gallery that showcases the 100 best gay movies of all time, arranged from lowest to highest score from IMDb.
Many of these gay movies have won Academy Awards, including “Moonlight.” That film (eventually) was named Best Picture of 2017. It is the first winner of the top award at the Oscars to feature a LGBT character as the main protagonist of the picture. Other gay movies that include Oscar-winning performances include “Bohemian Rhapsody” with 2018 Best Actor champ Rami Malek and 2002’s “The Hours,” which was a showcase for Best Actress Nicole Kidman.
See 2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture
The oldest entries are two movies...
Many of these gay movies have won Academy Awards, including “Moonlight.” That film (eventually) was named Best Picture of 2017. It is the first winner of the top award at the Oscars to feature a LGBT character as the main protagonist of the picture. Other gay movies that include Oscar-winning performances include “Bohemian Rhapsody” with 2018 Best Actor champ Rami Malek and 2002’s “The Hours,” which was a showcase for Best Actress Nicole Kidman.
See 2021 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture
The oldest entries are two movies...
- 6/29/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Last month, Scarlett Johansson became just the 12th performer to garner two acting Oscar nominations in one year — Best Actress for “Marriage Story” and Best Supporting Actress for “Jojo Rabbit” — but her double losses on Sunday now make her the fifth double nominee to go home empty-handed.
Johansson, who was defeated in lead by Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) and in supporting by her “Marriage Story” lawyer Laura Dern, joins Sigourney Weaver (1988’s “Gorillas in the Mist” and “Working Girl”), Emma Thompson (1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and “In the Name of the Father”), Julianne Moore (2002’s “Far From Heaven” and “The Hours”) and Cate Blanchett (2007’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” and “I’m Not There”) as double losers.
Don’t worry, ScarJo fans, it’s not all bad news. All but one of the previous 11 double nominees have won an Oscar at some point in their careers, so that bodes well...
Johansson, who was defeated in lead by Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) and in supporting by her “Marriage Story” lawyer Laura Dern, joins Sigourney Weaver (1988’s “Gorillas in the Mist” and “Working Girl”), Emma Thompson (1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and “In the Name of the Father”), Julianne Moore (2002’s “Far From Heaven” and “The Hours”) and Cate Blanchett (2007’s “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” and “I’m Not There”) as double losers.
Don’t worry, ScarJo fans, it’s not all bad news. All but one of the previous 11 double nominees have won an Oscar at some point in their careers, so that bodes well...
- 2/10/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Scarlett Johansson has double to celebrate: The actress received her first and second Oscar nominations on Monday, making the Best Actress lineup for “Marriage Story” and Best Supporting Actress cut for “Jojo Rabbit.” She’s now one of 12 actors to earn double bids in one year.
Johansson is the first double nominee in 12 years. She joins:
1. Fay Bainter (1938)
Best Actress, “White Banners”
Best Supporting Actress, “Jezebel” (win)
2. Teresa Wright (1942)
Best Actress, “The Pride of the Yankees”
Best Supporting Actress, “Mrs. Miniver” (win)
3. Barry Fitzgerald (1944)
Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, “Going My Way” (win for the latter)
4. Jessica Lange (1982)
Best Actress, “Frances”
Best Supporting Actress, “Tootsie” (win)
5. Sigourney Weaver (1988)
Best Actress, “Gorillas in the Mist”
Best Supporting Actress, “Working Girl”
6. Al Pacino (1992)
Best Actor, “Scent of a Woman” (win)
Best Supporting Actor, “Dick Tracy”
7. Holly Hunter (1993)
Best Actress, “The Piano” (win)
Best Supporting Actress, “The Firm”
8. Emma Thompson (1993)
Best Actress,...
Johansson is the first double nominee in 12 years. She joins:
1. Fay Bainter (1938)
Best Actress, “White Banners”
Best Supporting Actress, “Jezebel” (win)
2. Teresa Wright (1942)
Best Actress, “The Pride of the Yankees”
Best Supporting Actress, “Mrs. Miniver” (win)
3. Barry Fitzgerald (1944)
Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, “Going My Way” (win for the latter)
4. Jessica Lange (1982)
Best Actress, “Frances”
Best Supporting Actress, “Tootsie” (win)
5. Sigourney Weaver (1988)
Best Actress, “Gorillas in the Mist”
Best Supporting Actress, “Working Girl”
6. Al Pacino (1992)
Best Actor, “Scent of a Woman” (win)
Best Supporting Actor, “Dick Tracy”
7. Holly Hunter (1993)
Best Actress, “The Piano” (win)
Best Supporting Actress, “The Firm”
8. Emma Thompson (1993)
Best Actress,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Before Monday morning, Scarlett Johansson had somehow never been nominated for an Oscar. And now, with her nominations for best actress (for “Marriage Story”) and best supporting actress (for “Jojo Rabbit”), the 35-year-old joins one of the most elite clubs in Hollywood: Actors who have been Oscar-nominated twice in the same year.
While actors are prevented from earning two nominations within the same category, they can be nominated in the same year for lead and supporting performances. But it’s exceedingly rare. Prior to Johansson, only 11 other actors have earned double nominations in the same year in Oscar history.
Fay Bainter was first to pull off the feat. She earned a best actress nomination for the 1938 drama “White Banners,” but lost to Bette Davis for “Jezebel” — which was fine, since Bainter won best supporting actress for her performance opposite Davis in that film.
Four years later, Teresa Wright went through...
While actors are prevented from earning two nominations within the same category, they can be nominated in the same year for lead and supporting performances. But it’s exceedingly rare. Prior to Johansson, only 11 other actors have earned double nominations in the same year in Oscar history.
Fay Bainter was first to pull off the feat. She earned a best actress nomination for the 1938 drama “White Banners,” but lost to Bette Davis for “Jezebel” — which was fine, since Bainter won best supporting actress for her performance opposite Davis in that film.
Four years later, Teresa Wright went through...
- 1/13/2020
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson is still awaiting her first Oscar nomination, and good things come to those who wait because she looks solid to become one of the select few to get two acting bids in one year on Monday.
While Johansson has long been expected to reap a Best Actress nomination for “Marriage Story,” her fate in Best Supporting Actress for “Jojo Rabbit” had been up in the air, thanks to a far more fluid category, which ultimately may actually help her. Though she was snubbed by the Golden Globes for “Jojo,” she’s hit the other televised precursors, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA Awards, solidifying her position. Helping her cause is the fact that “Jojo” is a Best Picture contender; the Nazi satire had a great Tuesday with six BAFTA nominations, a Producers Guild of America Award nomination and a surprising Directors Guild of America Award bid for Taika Waititi.
While Johansson has long been expected to reap a Best Actress nomination for “Marriage Story,” her fate in Best Supporting Actress for “Jojo Rabbit” had been up in the air, thanks to a far more fluid category, which ultimately may actually help her. Though she was snubbed by the Golden Globes for “Jojo,” she’s hit the other televised precursors, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA Awards, solidifying her position. Helping her cause is the fact that “Jojo” is a Best Picture contender; the Nazi satire had a great Tuesday with six BAFTA nominations, a Producers Guild of America Award nomination and a surprising Directors Guild of America Award bid for Taika Waititi.
- 1/10/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Which Bette Davis movies qualify for greatness? Her flawed character in this costume picture doesn’t conquer all, and it’s historically more sensitive than Gone With the Wind. It’s also William Wyler at the top of his form, creating in just 104 minutes a rich image of a long-gone world. Southern Belle Julie Marsden is a contrary troublemaker, a flip coquette who shoots her whole life to hell with just a couple of social gaffes. The story is ‘bigger than Bette’ – the apocalyptic finale is just a side event in a fable about the nature of chivalry and honor in a flawed social structure.
Jezebel
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1938 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 104 min. / Street Date August 27, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp, Fay Bainter, Richard Cromwell, Henry O’Neill, Spring Byington, John Litel, Theresa Harris, Irving Pichel, Eddie Anderson,...
Jezebel
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1938 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 104 min. / Street Date August 27, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp, Fay Bainter, Richard Cromwell, Henry O’Neill, Spring Byington, John Litel, Theresa Harris, Irving Pichel, Eddie Anderson,...
- 9/21/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Great news for fans of Bette Davis! Jezebel (1938) is Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive
While movie fans were abuzz over who might play Scarlett O’Hara in the upcoming Gone with the Wind, Bette Davis got another Southern-belle role – and gave a fiery performance that won the 1938 Best Actress Academy Award®. Davis plays Julie, a New Orleans beauty whose constant attempts to goad fiance? Pres Dillard(Henry Fonda) to jealousy backfire. Angry and disgraced, Pres breaks their engagement and leaves town. Julie endures a year of remorse until Pres comes home – married. Then her vengeance explodes. Jezebel is also noted for its sumptuous sets and costumes, Fay Bainter’s Oscar®-winning* performance and William Wyler’s vivid direction, highlighted by a horrifying re-creation of a yellow fever epidemic. But the film’s greatest strength is Davis, whose titanic talent has never been better displayed than in Jezebel.
In one of her most acclaimed performances,...
While movie fans were abuzz over who might play Scarlett O’Hara in the upcoming Gone with the Wind, Bette Davis got another Southern-belle role – and gave a fiery performance that won the 1938 Best Actress Academy Award®. Davis plays Julie, a New Orleans beauty whose constant attempts to goad fiance? Pres Dillard(Henry Fonda) to jealousy backfire. Angry and disgraced, Pres breaks their engagement and leaves town. Julie endures a year of remorse until Pres comes home – married. Then her vengeance explodes. Jezebel is also noted for its sumptuous sets and costumes, Fay Bainter’s Oscar®-winning* performance and William Wyler’s vivid direction, highlighted by a horrifying re-creation of a yellow fever epidemic. But the film’s greatest strength is Davis, whose titanic talent has never been better displayed than in Jezebel.
In one of her most acclaimed performances,...
- 8/30/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
William Wyler would’ve celebrated his 117th birthday on July 1, 2019. The three-time Oscar winner crafted several classics during Hollywood’s Golden Age, adapting his style to a wide variety of genres. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
Born in 1902 in Germany, Wyler immigrated to the U.S. when his cousin, Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle, hired him as an errand boy. He quickly moved up the ranks, directing shorts during the silent era before transitioning into features. It was with the advent of sound that he hit his stride, displaying an ear for dialogue that would serve him well in lofty literary adaptations produced by his longtime partner, independent mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
SEEBette Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Wyler quickly became an Oscar mainstay, earning a record-breaking 12 nominations for Best Director: “Dodsworth...
- 7/1/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Two films in contention at this year’s Oscars earned nominations for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress: “The Favourite” (twice) and “Roma.” How likely is it that both women from the same film will win Academy Awards on Feb. 24? In the 82 years since the supporting awards were introduced at the 9th Oscars, 10 films could boast victories in both these races.
Fay Bainter and Bette Davis for “Jezebel” – 1939
Hattie McDaniel and Vivien Leigh for “Gone With the Wind” – 1940
Teresa Wright and Greer Garson for “Mrs. Miniver” – 1942
Kim Hunter and Vivien Leigh for “A Streetcar Named Desire” – 1952
Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft for “The Miracle Worker” – 1963
Sandy Dennis and Elizabeth Taylor for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – 1967
Beatrice Straight and Faye Dunaway for “Network” – 1977
Olympia Dukakis and Cher for “Moonstruck” – 1988
Anna Paquin and Holly Hunter for “The Piano” in 1994
Judi Dench and Gwyneth Paltrow for “Shakespeare in Love” – 1999
While...
Fay Bainter and Bette Davis for “Jezebel” – 1939
Hattie McDaniel and Vivien Leigh for “Gone With the Wind” – 1940
Teresa Wright and Greer Garson for “Mrs. Miniver” – 1942
Kim Hunter and Vivien Leigh for “A Streetcar Named Desire” – 1952
Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft for “The Miracle Worker” – 1963
Sandy Dennis and Elizabeth Taylor for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – 1967
Beatrice Straight and Faye Dunaway for “Network” – 1977
Olympia Dukakis and Cher for “Moonstruck” – 1988
Anna Paquin and Holly Hunter for “The Piano” in 1994
Judi Dench and Gwyneth Paltrow for “Shakespeare in Love” – 1999
While...
- 2/22/2019
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Since the supporting acting awards were introduced at the 9th Oscars in 1936, only 10 films have bragging rights to wins for both their leading ladies and a featured actress. “The Favourite” could well become the 11th to do so. Olivia Colman is locked in a tight race for Best Actress with Lady Gaga (“A Star is Born”) and Glenn Close (“The Wife”). And two past Oscar winners — Emma Stone (“La La Land”) and Rachel Weisz (“The Constant Gardener”) — are in strong contention for Best Supporting Actress.
As with “The Favourite,” both the first and last films to win both these Oscars were period pieces. Just two years after the academy began rewarding supporting performances, Fay Bainter reaped nominations in both categories. While she lost her Best Actress bid for “White Banners” to her “Jezebel” co-star Bette Davis, she won Best Supporting Actress for playing Davis’ on-screen nemesis.
The most recent double...
As with “The Favourite,” both the first and last films to win both these Oscars were period pieces. Just two years after the academy began rewarding supporting performances, Fay Bainter reaped nominations in both categories. While she lost her Best Actress bid for “White Banners” to her “Jezebel” co-star Bette Davis, she won Best Supporting Actress for playing Davis’ on-screen nemesis.
The most recent double...
- 1/1/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Will “The Favourite” rule over the female acting races at the Oscars? The film has three strong potential acting nominees in lead hopeful Olivia Colman and supporting contenders Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. If Colman and one of Stone and Weisz prevail, it’d mark the 11th time — and first in 20 years — that a pair of co-stars won both categories.
The previous 10 films that won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress are:
1. “Jezebel” (1938): Best Actress for Bette Davis, Best Supporting Actress for Fay Bainter
2. “Gone with the Wind” (1939): Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel
3. “Mrs. Miniver” (1942): Best Actress for Greer Garson, Best Supporting Actress for Teresa Wright
4. “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951): Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, Best Supporting Actress for Kim Hunter
5. “The Miracle Worker” (1962): Best Actress for Anne Bancroft, Best Supporting Actress for Patty Duke
6. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?...
The previous 10 films that won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress are:
1. “Jezebel” (1938): Best Actress for Bette Davis, Best Supporting Actress for Fay Bainter
2. “Gone with the Wind” (1939): Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel
3. “Mrs. Miniver” (1942): Best Actress for Greer Garson, Best Supporting Actress for Teresa Wright
4. “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951): Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, Best Supporting Actress for Kim Hunter
5. “The Miracle Worker” (1962): Best Actress for Anne Bancroft, Best Supporting Actress for Patty Duke
6. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?...
- 12/8/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Since the introduction of the supporting categories at the 9th Oscar ceremony, 11 performers have contended in both acting categories in the same year, with seven of them prevailing in one of their races. At the 2019 Academy Awards, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman and Oscar nominee Steve Carell are hoping to make history and join this exclusive roster of double nominees.
Kidman has earned rave reviews for her turns in “Destroyer” and “Boy Erased.” The former finds her portraying a troubled Los Angeles detective, determined to bring down an old nemesis, while the latter has Kidman in a supporting turn, portraying the mother of a young man (Lucas Hedges) who is pressured into enrolling in a gay conversion therapy program. Kidman has previous Oscar nominations for “Moulin Rouge!” (2001); “The Hours” (2002); “Rabbit Hole” (2010); and “Lion” (2016), winning for “The Hours.”
Also coming on strong this Oscar season is Carell, whose lone nomination to date came for “Foxcatcher” (2014). This year,...
Kidman has earned rave reviews for her turns in “Destroyer” and “Boy Erased.” The former finds her portraying a troubled Los Angeles detective, determined to bring down an old nemesis, while the latter has Kidman in a supporting turn, portraying the mother of a young man (Lucas Hedges) who is pressured into enrolling in a gay conversion therapy program. Kidman has previous Oscar nominations for “Moulin Rouge!” (2001); “The Hours” (2002); “Rabbit Hole” (2010); and “Lion” (2016), winning for “The Hours.”
Also coming on strong this Oscar season is Carell, whose lone nomination to date came for “Foxcatcher” (2014). This year,...
- 9/21/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
If our combined Oscar odds are correct, the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories will be dominated by the stars of three films: Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf of “Lady Bird”; Margot Robbie and Allison Janney of “I, Tonya”; and Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer of “The Shape of Water.” And if one pair of co-stars wins, it’d be the 11th time both actress awards went to the same film.
The best chance of this happening is with Ronan and Metcalf. The former sits in second place in lead, behind “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri” star Frances McDormand, with 7/2 odds, while her onscreen mother is the favorite in supporting with 11/5 odds.
But after defeating Metcalf at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice, Janney is watching her stock rise quickly. She stands at 5/2 odds, while her onscreen daughter, Robbie, is in fifth in lead with 8/1 odds.
See Will ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...
The best chance of this happening is with Ronan and Metcalf. The former sits in second place in lead, behind “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri” star Frances McDormand, with 7/2 odds, while her onscreen mother is the favorite in supporting with 11/5 odds.
But after defeating Metcalf at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice, Janney is watching her stock rise quickly. She stands at 5/2 odds, while her onscreen daughter, Robbie, is in fifth in lead with 8/1 odds.
See Will ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...
- 1/20/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
(See previous post: Fourth of July Movies: Escapism During a Weird Year.) On the evening of the Fourth of July, besides fireworks, fire hazards, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, if you're watching TCM in the U.S. and Canada, there's the following: Peter H. Hunt's 1776 (1972), a largely forgotten film musical based on the Broadway hit with music by Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, who was recently on TCM talking about 1776 and a couple of other movies (A Thousand Clowns, Dodsworth), has one of the key roles as John Adams. Howard Da Silva, blacklisted for over a decade after being named a communist during the House Un-American Committee hearings of the early 1950s (Robert Taylor was one who mentioned him in his testimony), plays Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard is Thomas Jefferson, a role he would reprise in John Huston's 1976 short Independence. (In the short, Pat Hingle was cast as John Adams; Eli Wallach was Benjamin Franklin.) Warner...
- 7/5/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
“Success is no fun unless you share it with someone,” confirms a composed Fay Bainter in George Stevens’ 1942 comedy classic Woman of the Year, a battles of the sexes comedy addressing how love and marriage doesn’t exactly function like a horse and carriage.
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 4/25/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
11 is the magic number today and 11 comes with big and appropriately twinned A list Oscar trivia.
the great Fay Bainter was the first actor double-nominated in a single year
11 is the number of actors who have been double nominated for lead & supporting within the same year! Pretty cool, right? Details and adjacent trivia starring Lange, Bergman, Blanchett, De Niro, SigWeavie, and more after the jump...
the great Fay Bainter was the first actor double-nominated in a single year
11 is the number of actors who have been double nominated for lead & supporting within the same year! Pretty cool, right? Details and adjacent trivia starring Lange, Bergman, Blanchett, De Niro, SigWeavie, and more after the jump...
- 2/15/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers...
With Judy Garland now such an established hit, MGM worked overtime to make the most of its musical star. This meant that while Arthur Freed and the Freed Unit "made" her by crafting her star image (and arguably used her to her best advantage), Judy couldn't work with them exclusively. She was too valuable a commodity for that. So, MGM also put her under the watchful tutelage of another producer well-known for his musical mojo: Joe Pasternak.
The Movie: Presenting Lily Mars (1942)
The Songwriters: Walter Jurmann (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics)
The Players: Judy Garland, Van Heflin, Fay Bainter, Spring Byington, directed by Norman Taurog
The Story: Had Judy's fateful short with Deanna Durbin turned out differently only six years previous, she might have met Joe Pasternak earlier. For most of the 1930s, Pasternak was a top producer at Universal Studios,...
With Judy Garland now such an established hit, MGM worked overtime to make the most of its musical star. This meant that while Arthur Freed and the Freed Unit "made" her by crafting her star image (and arguably used her to her best advantage), Judy couldn't work with them exclusively. She was too valuable a commodity for that. So, MGM also put her under the watchful tutelage of another producer well-known for his musical mojo: Joe Pasternak.
The Movie: Presenting Lily Mars (1942)
The Songwriters: Walter Jurmann (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics)
The Players: Judy Garland, Van Heflin, Fay Bainter, Spring Byington, directed by Norman Taurog
The Story: Had Judy's fateful short with Deanna Durbin turned out differently only six years previous, she might have met Joe Pasternak earlier. For most of the 1930s, Pasternak was a top producer at Universal Studios,...
- 5/4/2016
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers...
1941 was a year of beginnings and endings for Judy Garland. It was the year of Judy's last Andy Hardy film (Life Begins for Andy Hardy, wherein nobody sang). And she wasn't just growing up on film - 1941 was also the year of Judy's first marriage: to David Rose, the musical director of the Tony Martin Radio Show. At only 19, Judy Garland was transitioning from child sensation to full fledged star.
The Movie: Babes on Broadway (1941)
The Songwriters: E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) and Burton Lane (music)
The Players: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Virginia Weidler, Fay Bainter, Margaret O'Sullivan, directed by Busby Berkeley.
The Story: As the country entered World War II, the Freed Unit was lining up a series of nostalgia-inflected new hits starring Judy Garland for MGM. While Babes on Broadway looks at first glance like the typical...
1941 was a year of beginnings and endings for Judy Garland. It was the year of Judy's last Andy Hardy film (Life Begins for Andy Hardy, wherein nobody sang). And she wasn't just growing up on film - 1941 was also the year of Judy's first marriage: to David Rose, the musical director of the Tony Martin Radio Show. At only 19, Judy Garland was transitioning from child sensation to full fledged star.
The Movie: Babes on Broadway (1941)
The Songwriters: E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) and Burton Lane (music)
The Players: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Virginia Weidler, Fay Bainter, Margaret O'Sullivan, directed by Busby Berkeley.
The Story: As the country entered World War II, the Freed Unit was lining up a series of nostalgia-inflected new hits starring Judy Garland for MGM. While Babes on Broadway looks at first glance like the typical...
- 4/20/2016
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
Happy Leap Day - and Leap Year, too, of course. And if you're one of the few who happen to be born on this day, happy birthday - finally! Leap Day is literally the rarest of dates on which anything can happen, but it's not without its merits and its not without its share of historical happenings. It's just that it gets a lot fewer of them, as a result of a cruel quirk of the Gregorian calendar. In case you've written this day off as just an extra 24 hours tacked randomly onto the shortest month, well here's a list...
- 2/29/2016
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- PEOPLE.com
Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...
- 10/14/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...
- 10/14/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Katharine Hepburn movies. Katharine Hepburn movies: Woman in drag, in love, in danger In case you're suffering from insomnia, you might want to spend your night and early morning watching Turner Classic Movies' "Summer Under the Stars" series. Four-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn is TCM's star today, Aug. 7, '15. (See TCM's Katharine Hepburn movie schedule further below.) Whether you find Hepburn's voice as melodious as a singing nightingale or as grating as nails on a chalkboard, you may want to check out the 1933 version of Little Women. Directed by George Cukor, this cozy – and more than a bit schmaltzy – version of Louisa May Alcott's novel was a major box office success, helping to solidify Hepburn's Hollywood stardom the year after her film debut opposite John Barrymore and David Manners in Cukor's A Bill of Divorcement. They don't make 'em like they used to Also, the 1933 Little Women...
- 8/7/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...
- 7/1/2015
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
One can’t ignore a certain irony that Leo McCarey, director of one of the most irrefutably sorrowful motion pictures with 1937’s Make Way For Tomorrow, was actually well renowned for his comedic ventures, like that same year’s The Awful Truth or the most beloved of the Marx Brothers films with Duck Soup (1933). In the decades since its release, the film has recently come to be recognized for its influence on several filmmakers, including Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) and Ira Sachs’ Love is Strange (2014). Filmed during the Great Depression, yet without specific references to the significant economic downturn, the film has a timeless resonance that feels particularly fitting for our contemporary existence.
Though not cemented in Western culture, there’s a particular tendency for this depiction to transpire within the landscape of white, capitalistic peoples and their insistence on stuffing their elders into nursing home facilities. The film...
Though not cemented in Western culture, there’s a particular tendency for this depiction to transpire within the landscape of white, capitalistic peoples and their insistence on stuffing their elders into nursing home facilities. The film...
- 5/12/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Teresa Wright movies: Actress made Oscar history Teresa Wright, best remembered for her Oscar-winning performance in the World War II melodrama Mrs. Miniver and for her deceptively fragile, small-town heroine in Alfred Hitchcock's mystery-drama Shadow of a Doubt, died at age 86 ten years ago – on March 6, 2005. Throughout her nearly six-decade show business career, Wright was featured in nearly 30 films, dozens of television series and made-for-tv movies, and a whole array of stage productions. On the big screen, she played opposite some of the most important stars of the '40s and '50s. It's a long list, including Bette Davis, Greer Garson, Gary Cooper, Myrna Loy, Ray Milland, Fredric March, Jean Simmons, Marlon Brando, Dana Andrews, Lew Ayres, Cornel Wilde, Robert Mitchum, Spencer Tracy, Joseph Cotten, and David Niven. Also of note, Teresa Wright made Oscar history in the early '40s, when she was nominated for each of her first three movie roles.
- 3/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Honorary Award: Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth among dozens of women bypassed by the Academy (photo: Honorary Award non-winner Gloria Swanson in 'Sunset Blvd.') (See previous post: "Honorary Oscars: Doris Day, Danielle Darrieux Snubbed.") Part three of this four-part article about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Honorary Award bypassing women basically consists of a long, long — and for the most part quite prestigious — list of deceased women who, some way or other, left their mark on the film world. Some of the names found below are still well known; others were huge in their day, but are now all but forgotten. Yet, just because most people (and the media) suffer from long-term — and even medium-term — memory loss, that doesn't mean these women were any less deserving of an Honorary Oscar. So, among the distinguished female film professionals in Hollywood and elsewhere who have passed away without...
- 9/4/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
James Garner movies on TCM: ‘Grand Prix,’ ‘Victor Victoria’ among highlights (photo: James Garner ca. 1960) James Garner, whose film and television career spanned more than five decades, died of "natural causes" at age 86 on July 19, 2014, in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood. On Monday, July 28, Turner Classic Movies will present an all-day marathon of James Garner movies (see below) as a tribute to the Oscar-nominated star of Murphy’s Romance and Emmy-winning star of the television series The Rockford Files. Among the highlights in TCM’s James Garner film lineup is John Frankenheimer’s Monaco-set Grand Prix (1966), an all-star, race-car drama featuring Garner as a Formula One driver who has an affair with the wife (Jessica Walter) of his former teammate (Brian Bedford). Among the other Grand Prix drivers facing their own personal issues are Yves Montand and Antonio Sabato, while Akira Kurosawa’s (male) muse Toshiro Mifune plays a...
- 7/25/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
“Biggest boar in the world, I bet!”
The Missouri State Fair has been in Sedalia since 1901. I’ve lived in Missouri all of my life, but have never attended even though I grew up with a pet hog named Blue Boy! I made that last part up but, I did once judge a pickle-canning contest. Okay, I made that up too, but Iowa seems to have the most all-American State Fair and you can attend it vicariously this Saturday morning when the 1945 classic musical State Fair screens at St. Louis’ Hi-Pointe Theater as part of their Classic Film Series.
State Fair is the story of an average all-American family on the way to their state fair, with games and rides, cotton candy and candied apples, contests for baking, livestock, etc., and a lot of fun and angst too. The music by Rodgers and Hammerstein is just great, including the Oscar-winning song,...
The Missouri State Fair has been in Sedalia since 1901. I’ve lived in Missouri all of my life, but have never attended even though I grew up with a pet hog named Blue Boy! I made that last part up but, I did once judge a pickle-canning contest. Okay, I made that up too, but Iowa seems to have the most all-American State Fair and you can attend it vicariously this Saturday morning when the 1945 classic musical State Fair screens at St. Louis’ Hi-Pointe Theater as part of their Classic Film Series.
State Fair is the story of an average all-American family on the way to their state fair, with games and rides, cotton candy and candied apples, contests for baking, livestock, etc., and a lot of fun and angst too. The music by Rodgers and Hammerstein is just great, including the Oscar-winning song,...
- 7/8/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hattie McDaniel Oscar speech (photo: Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel and Fay Bainter) The 1940 Academy Awards ceremony was held on February 29 at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove in downtown Los Angeles. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the David O. Selznick production Gone with the Wind received eight competitive awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming), Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, the first black individual to take home an Oscar. Fay Bainter, the previous year’s Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for Jezebel, presented the acting awards in the supporting categories — plaques, not statuettes*, back in those days. First, Thomas Mitchell was named the Best Supporting Actor winner for his performance as a drunken doctor in John Ford’s Western Stagecoach. After Mitchell finished his brief speech, Bainter introduced the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winner by heralding the virtues of the United States: I’m...
- 8/21/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Wallace Beery movies: TCM offers a glimpse into Beery’s extensive filmography (photo: Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery in ‘Min and Bill’) According to the IMDb, the Wallace Beery Filmography features nearly 240 movie titles, including shorts and features, spanning more than three decades, from 1913 to 1949 — the year of his death at age 64. You’ll be able to catch about a dozen of these Wallace Beery movies on Saturday, August 17, 2013, as Turner Classic Movies continues with its "Summer Under the Stars" series. (See “TCM movie schedule: Wallace Beery from Pancho Villa to Long John Silver.”) Wallace Beery, much like fellow veteran Marie Dressler, with whom he co-starred in Min and Bill and its sequel, Tugboat Annie, was a Hollywood anomaly. At age 45, the ugly, coarse-looking actor became a top box-office draw in the United States after languishing in supporting roles, usually playing villains, throughout most of the silent era. Beery and Dressler,...
- 8/17/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Bette Davis movies: TCM schedule on August 14 (photo: Bette Davis in ‘Dangerous,’ with Franchot Tone) See previous post: “Bette Davis Eyes: They’re Watching You Tonight.” 3:00 Am Parachute Jumper (1933). Director: Alfred E. Green. Cast: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Claire Dodd, Harold Huber, Leo Carrillo, Thomas E. Jackson, Lyle Talbot, Leon Ames, Stanley Blystone, Reginald Barlow, George Chandler, Walter Brennan, Pat O’Malley, Paul Panzer, Nat Pendleton, Dewey Robinson, Tom Wilson, Sheila Terry. Bw-72 mins. 4:30 Am The Girl From 10th Avenue (1935). Director: Alfred E. Green. Cast: Bette Davis, Ian Hunter, Colin Clive, Alison Skipworth, John Eldredge, Phillip Reed, Katharine Alexander, Helen Jerome Eddy, Bill Elliott, Edward McWade, André Cheron, Wedgwood Nowell, John Quillan, Mary Treen. Bw-69 mins. 6:00 Am Dangerous (1935). Director: Alfred E. Green. Cast: Bette Davis, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay, Alison Skipworth, John Eldredge, Dick Foran, Walter Walker, Richard Carle, George Irving, Pierre Watkin, Douglas Wood,...
- 8/15/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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