Tired Old Queen at the Movies' Office
Today is MASSIMO GIROTTI’s birthday. This Italian hunk was the star of Luchino Visconti’s “Osessione” (1943). The first, best and undoubtedly hottest vesrion of “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” He was rumored to be the great unrequited love of Visconti’s life. Such a hottie!
Happy Birthday KATHARINE HEPBURN. The “Great Kate”. There’s never been anyone like you. Not before, not during and certainly not since. Favorite films: “Stage Door”, “The Philadelphia Story”, “Adam’s Rib”, “Desk Set”, “Suddenly Last Summer” & “The Lion In Winter”.
Thanks to my dear friend Chris Wilmore, I was taken to see “Surviving Mommie Dearest”, Christina Crawford’s fascinating one-person show. It deals with her years of struggle following the book’s publication, the subsequent film version and her eventual recovery from a massive stroke. We met afterwards and she was charming, candid and funny. So glad I went. Thanks, Chris!
Photo: Christina & “The Tired Old Queen at the Movies”
Happy Birthday GERALDINE McKEWEN! Loved you in “MAPP & LUCIA”, marveled at you in “MARPLE”, and miss you on the BBC!
Happy Birthday GLENDA JACKSON. My all time favorite British actress. Period.
Sci-fi/fantasy animator RAY HARRYHAUSEN has died in London at 92. He perfected the art of stop action animation and his models and images fueled the imaginations of generations of children and movie fans throughout the world. From Kubrick to Speilberg everyone owes something to his expertise. Together with producer Charles H. Schneer and composer Bernard Herrmann, they created such classics as “Jason and the Argonauts”, “Mysterious Island”and “The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad”, providing the stuff that dreams are made of. With his passing, one of the sweetest parts of my childhood is gone. Farewell, Great Wizard. PHOTO: Harryhausen and one of his famous skeleton models from “Jason and the Argonauts”.
An ever so sophisticated MARY ASTOR arrives to pick up her Oscar for “The Great Lie” at the 1942 Academy Awards. Gorgeous!
Happy 80th birthday to brilliant CAROL BURNETT! Life would be nothing without laugher and you’ve generously supplied it for years! Thanks for the good times, Baby!
It’s DOUGLAS SIRK’S birthday again! Thanks for all the sordid melodramas, all that technicolor, all those middle aged actresses paired up with those young and gorgeous Universal hunks making it “All That Heaven Allows”’. Most of all, thanks for “Written On The Wind.” (1957)
Happy Birthday SHIRLEY MacCLAINE! “Some Came Running”, through “The Apartment”, sending “Terms Of Endearment” on “Postcards From The Edge” while passing through “Downton Abbey”. I love and adore you!
I’m thrilled to be on the DEREK & ROMAINE SHOW tomorrow night, April 10th at 8:20PM. We will be discussing Spring and Summer movies, acting crazy and laughing our heads off. Tune in and join the fun!! This will be broadcast live on SiriusXM OutQ 108. Listeners and fans are welcome to participate by calling 866-305-6887. ON LINE: STEVE HAYES @DNRShow / DNRShow.net. For those who don’t subscribe to Sirius, a free online trial is available at www.siriusxm.com/outqoffer.
STAGECOACH (1939)
The action is fast and furious as John Wayne takes us on a bumpy journey across Monument Valley in John Ford’s legendary western classic, STAGECOACH. This is the film that became the blueprint for every western since. Shot on location, the film made a star out of Wayne and supplied excellent supporting roles for Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Andy Devine, Donald Meek and in an Oscar winning turn, Thomas Mitchell as a drunken doctor forced to deliver a baby under less than ideal conditions. Gun fights, dust storms, desert heat, and attacking Indians all do their best to keep the stage from getting through. Will they make it? Hitch a ride and find out!
Follow Steve On:
Twitter - Facebook - Tumblr - YouTube
with John “Johnny” Bixler and Steve Hayes
Happy Be-lated Birthday, SPENCER TRACY. He is the basis for one of my favorite comedy routines of all time by Mike Nichols and Elaine May. Nichols plays a name dropping talk show host and she’s a dumb Hollywood starlet. He asks her what her next movie is? She says: “Two Gals In Paris”, a musical based on the life of Gertrude Stein.” She then announces that she’s playing the part of Gertrude Stein.He says; “I thought that part was being played by Spencer Tracy. “ To which she demurely replies: “Only as a child.”
Happy Birthday, BETTE! I can watch her in anything, have seen her in just about everything, and wherever I am, will stop whatever I’m doing and do anything I can to see her again.
Photo: Davis in “The Letter” (1940). My favorite.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRANDO! So sexy it hurts.
