B4 They Were Stars - Tony Curtis

I would like to fill in some bigger stars with details about their career before they gained stardom.  That's why I have added the label B4 They Were Stars to my list at the right.  I thought I would write about someone today, but I am struggling to find the right star.

Cary Grant first came to mind.  He was a stage actor before coming to the movies, and when he first appeared on screen, he was an instant hit.  He made some early films with Mae West, and he did have a short spell of work that wasn't the best.  But his popularity, particularly with West, helped to save Paramount, so I don't think he could ever be considered a Bit Actor.  I wonder what would have happened to him if he retained his real name, Archie Leach?

My next thought was Katherine Hepburn.  Same basic story.  Her first film, A Bill of Divorcement (1932) with John Barrymore made her a star.

You can't think of Hepburn without thinking of Spencer Tracy.  Another star from the start!  He made a few early short films in 1930 and was seen by John Ford who gave him the lead in Up The River (1930).

Maybe in those early days of talking films, if you had so much talent and stage acting experience, it was easy to make it big on screen.  The depression was just starting and it was much easier for the cash-strapped public to go to the movies than the theater, so the studios needed great talent to promote in all the films they were pushing out.

Let's try a few more recent titles and see where those stars came from.  Jack Lemmon started his screen acting on television in 1949.  It wasn't until 1954 that he made his first movie.  That was It Should Happen to You, starring Judy Holliday and, you guessed it, Jack Lemmon.

Intense, and Handsome

I can't think of Jack Lemmon without thinking of Tony Curtis (1925 - 2010) and that actress, Marilyn something-or-other.  Maybe Curtis will fill my need.  Curtis' first film was a 16mm documentary short called How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border (1949)  Anyone who would be in a movie with that title must either be a Bit Actor, or a friend of Jerry Lewis.  It was, in fact, the first film directed by Lewis, and it was shot at his house.  No Oscars were awarded.

Tony's early films were either uncredited or he was billed at Anthony Curtis.  He did make quite a few films before catching on, or rather, before the public caught on to his considerable talent and good looks.  In 1950 he was in Francis, a story about a talking mule, but it was a Donald O'Connor film.

Winchester '73 (1950) is one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart westerns, and Anthony had a small part in it, along with a Native American named Rock Hudson.  Curtis made two films in 1950 with Audie Murphy.  He then stars in The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951), Flesh and Fury and No Room for the Groom both in 1952, but they were not big hits and those films didn't really include any other big stars.

These early starring roles may not have been blockbusters, but they are a proving ground for a young actor who is working out his character.  After Son of Ali Baba (1952), he has the title role in Houdini (1953) and I believe that may have been a turning point for him.  As with most actors, not every film is a success, but he went on to complete about 130 titles over a 59 year span of work.  And let's not forget Jamie Lee.  Another one of his successes!

Bob Anderson

Bob Anderson wasn't even a Bit Actor, and there are 51 Robert Anderson's listed on IMDb.  Bob's name has (III) after it, indicating he is the third Bob Anderson listed on that web site.  There is also a Robert Anderson (III) listed as an actor in the 1920s.  So who is Bob Anderson (III)?

The Bob Anderson (1922 - 2012) for today's post was basically a swordmaster and fight choreographer.  In fact, he is considered the finest who ever lived.  His name was brought to my attention while doing some research, and I found out that Bob just passed away on January 1, 2012 at the age of 89.

He did act in some TV shows and only a few movies, appearing mostly as a stunt double and rarely credited.  But he was involved in movie magic starting in 1953 when he coached Errol Flynn (1909 - 1959) in fencing for The Master of Ballantrae.  Before that Bob was on the British fencing team for the Olympics in 1952 after serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. 

I don't know much about Bob, and there is little info on most of the usual web sites.  But if you have ever watched an action movie that had a sword fight, chances are Bob Anderson was involved.  Here are just a few of the films he helped along.  They speak volumes about how good he was.

The Guns of Navarone (1961)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Casino Royale (1967)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Star Wars (1977, plus the next two installments)
Superman II (1981)
Highlander (1986)
The Princess Bride (1987)
First Knight (1995)
The Phantom (1996)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
"Highlander" (TV series 1992 - 1994)
Die Another Day (2002)
The Legend of Zorro (2005)
Pirates of the Caribbean (most likely all of them before 2010)

In addition to being fight choreographer for the original Star Wars trilogy, he was David Prowse's (b. 1935 - portraying Darth Vader) stunt double for the light saber fights, and probably killed Obi-Wan Kenobi.  The later Star Wars prequels relied on CGI for many of the stunts, including Christopher Lee's (b. 1922) famous fight with Yoda in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Anderson was the swordmaster for The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003.  He taught Viggo Mortensen (b. 1958) how to fence for that series and said he was one of his best pupils.  He also taught Sean Connery (b. 1930), Antonio Banderas (b. 1960) and Johnny Depp (b. 1963) among many others.

Rest in peace, Bob.  Maybe its a guy thing, but I think you have brought a lot to the movies, and we thank you for it.

Diane Ladd and Family

A quick commercial before we get to Diane and family.  Please stop by The Lady Eve's Reel Life all this month for a Reel Treat.  Eve has put together a month of blog posts on Alfred Hitchcock's great movie Vertigo (1958).  Eve has invited ten guest writers to participate.  I was asked to give all of the Bit Actors my usual treatment, and I am sure every post is worth reading.  Don't miss it!

I happened across Diane Ladd (b. 1932) last week on "Gunsmoke" in an episode called "Sweet Billy, Singer of Songs" from 1966.  She looked familiar, and quite pretty, but I couldn't place her until I saw her name in the credits.  It was a fun episode with all of Festus' relatives.  The cast was amazing, including Judy Carne (b. 1939), Royal Dano (1922 - 1994) and Slim Pickins (1919 - 1983) as well.

Diane has 123 titles listed on IMDb and was married, for a while, to Bruce Dern (b. 1936).  They produced Laura Dern in 1967, and Diane has made several movies with her daughter. 

Most of her early work was on television, but she did appear in a few movies.  Murder, Inc. (1960) starring Stuart Whitman (b. 1928) was her first, then Something Wild with Carroll Baker (b. 1931) in 1961, and 40 Pounds of Trouble with Tony Curtis (1925 - 2010) the next year. 

I must admit that I am unfamiliar with most of her movie work before 1970.  Things seemed to perk up in the mid 1970s though.  She was in White Lightning (1973) with Burt Reynolds, Chinatown (1974) with Jack Nicholson, and received her first of three Oscar nominations for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore also in 1974.  That nomination led to a role on the TV spin-off, "Alice."

She was finally getting some starring roles after working very hard for the opportunity.  We won't talk too much about Embryo (1976) a sci-fi/horror flick with Rock Hudson.  She also stars in a few better movies, All Night Long (1981) with Gene Hackman and Barbra Streisand, and with Jason Robards (1922 - 2000) in Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes in 1983, which also featured Royal Dano.  He's one of my favorites.

Ladd then takes a few cruises on "The Love Boat" and shows up with John Randolph (1915 - 2004) as Chevy Chase's parents in Christmas Vacation (1989).  Two more Oscar nominations followed for Wild at Heart in 1990 and Rambling Rose in 1991.  In those two movies, she played her real daughter, Laura Dern's, mother.  Laura was also in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, but she was just seven years old playing a bit part.

Not all went well, though.  In 1993 she starred in Carnosaur where she plays a scientist bent on destroying everyone on Earth with a virus.  No Oscars for that one.  Better movies followed in Primary Colors (1998) and 28 Days (2000). 

Her last good role was in American Cowslip (2009) with ex-husband Bruce Dern.  She worked with Bruce in four movies, and with Laura in nine.

You can find Diane in the HBO comedy series "enlightened" playing mother and daughter again with Laura.  And she is still hard at work on new movies.  At only 80 years old, I think we will continue seeing her for a while.  And if you are in Hollywood, look for her star on the Walk of Fame, next to Bruce and Laura's.  In 2010, they were the first family to be awarded stars together.

Hugo - Will It Become a Classic?

Well, I saw my very first 3D movie last weekend...at least since The Three Stooges released a few in the 1950s to be viewed with red/blue glasses.  We saw Hugo (2011) at a Regal Cinema, and we enjoyed the movie very much.  But not everything about it.

The best part was that we went on a Sunday evening, with Monday being a school day.  There were, maybe, ten people in the theater.  No one was talking, no one was texting.  And there were also no employees anywhere to be seen.  We got tickets at the box office (one person), bought popcorn (two people), and saw no others working.  There was no one to take our tickets as we walked down the looooong corridor to theater #6 (of 24).  I guess you can skip buying a ticket on Sunday nights, but you didn't hear that from me.

The first disappointment was the insane number of ads and previews.  The movie was listed as starting at 7:25 p.m., but the titles did not roll until 7:45.  The 2D ads ended at 7:25 and the 3D previews started then.  After the previews there was an announcement to come even earlier to see more previews, but we won't rush to the theater next time.

Hugo is a wonderful story that takes place around 1930, and it includes a history lesson on early cinema that will make it a favorite of film buffs.  Georges Melies (1861 - 1938) figures prominently in the film, played by Ben Kingsley (b. 1943).  Much has been written about Hugo already, so I won't bore you with details or give away the plot.  These are just a few thoughts about the experience.

The story hinges on an automaton that is being repaired by a young, orphaned boy.  As a young boy, I used to frequent The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where they have an automaton (probably built before 1800) very similar to the one in Hugo.  In fact, the one at the F.I. was part of the inspiration for Brian Selznick's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, on which the movie is based.

Franklin Institute Automaton

In the movie, after the machine started working again, it wrote down the name of it's creator, which was previously unknown.  When the F.I. received theirs in 1928, it had been damaged in a fire and also had to be repaired.  The automaton at the F.I. was mis-identified as being built by a French inventor named Maelzel.  After its repair, it also wrote the name of its creator, Henri Maillardet, and the mystery of who built it was solved.

As far as the movie, I loved the story and I loved the acting.  Everyone was perfectly cast and did their job well.  So what was wrong?

The effects were over the top.  This seems to be the way things are going.  As with Spooks and Pardon My Backfire, both from 1953 with The Three Stooges, the 3D effects are sometimes used just because they can.  The opening scene has us flying through the train station, between people and things and through clocks, and it sets you up right from the start.  There is no reason to have so many overhead shots with the camera pointing straight down.

If you stay for the credits (and I usually do) you will find 436 names under the heading Visual Effects Artists.  That includes matte painters, computer graphics people, animators, plus all of their coordinators, supervisors and managers.  I know its a big job, but that's a bit much.  I wonder how much of the $170,000,000 budget went to them.

Also, the use of hand held cameras to add instability to some scenes is not appreciated (by me).  I had vertigo last winter after a fall on the ice, and it was not pleasant.  Why has that become a standard in every new film with some action scene?  Is Steadicam so expensive to use?

All that being said, I will buy Hugo for my film library.  The story is simply that good.  Go to the theater and see it in 3D if you haven't already.  It is an experience.  Will it become a "Classic Movie?"  Who knows.  That's not up to me.  I didn't like The Polar Express (2004), but that is being shown every Christmas.

Below is a link to an article written by Richard Bann for the Laurel and Hardy web site.  He speaks about Hugo and Georges Melies in answer to someone's question about Stan Laurel embracing magic in his films.  I always enjoy reading items by Dick Bann, who has written several books on classic movies.

The link is not easy to navigate.  Go to http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/ and click on 'Did You Know' on the left side of the page.  Then, click on 'Ask Lois' at the top.  There is no way to give you a direct link...sorry.  Lois Laurel-Hawes is Stan's daughter.  Next, scroll down the page to the question from John Raynor, which is not too far down.  If you can find it, I hope you enjoy it.  And spend some time on that web site.  It is also worth the trouble.

Christmas Gifts

Christmas 2011 is almost here.  I was thinking about the many gifts we have that keep us happily entertained all year long.  Here are some of the things I am thankful for having.

First, for my loving wife who is enjoying classic movies with me.  She has learned a lot about these old films, and guess what, she really likes them!  She has found favorites in Bette Davis, Fred and Ginger, Busby Berkeley, William Powell and many others, and is fast becoming a Barbara Stanwyck fan.  She even likes old Sherlock Holmes films.  More than once she has come home from Costco with a collection of classic movies on DVD, and she is currently reading the biography of Siegmund Lubin.

Turner Classic Movies.  One of the best gifts we have is TCM.  And not just for the wonderful, seemingly never ending, list of movies they broadcast.  Yesterday morning, as a filler between movies on TCM they showed the faces of all the actors and actresses who passed away during 2011.  It was a true tribute to them all.  And not just the big stars like Elizabeth Taylor, James Arness, Peter Falk, Jackie Cooper and Harry Morgan, but ten names of lesser known people for every name you know.

TCM also shows some wonderful one and two reelers as fillers.  Old newsreels, travelogues and comedy shorts added between films make you feel like you are back in the old days at the theater.  I just saw a clip of Mario Lanza from The Great Caruso (1951) singing Ave Maria.  It was obviously shown in theaters as a holiday treat between shorts and feature films back in the day.

TCM has also given us Robert Osborne, one of the most knowledgeable movie historians on TV.  I know that TCM has a research department second to none and they give Mr. Osborne much of his material, but he will probably forget more about classic films than I will ever know.  He interviews stars, and hosts films in the Hollywood Essentials series with various stars who add their own insight.  Every film intro includes something I don't know, and that only enhances the experience.

The IMDb and TCM web sites are two valuable resources for any film buff.  How can these things be free?!?  They have more information than you could ever want, and I find myself absorbed in them almost every day.  A wonderful gift to us all, if you ask me.

One of my favorite things is the Encore Western channel.  Almost every night I can see "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Gunsmoke" plus some great movies.  They will be showing Apache (1954) starring Burt Lancaster tonight.  What a great way to watch good TV without having to think too much.

While I am talking about TV, let's not forget FiOS.  We switched from old metal cable to a fibre optic system as soon as it was available in our area.  What better way to send great old movies, than to speed them on as light.  The quality is very good, the DVR is a great invention, and it is so versatile to use.  If I see that a movie is going to be on, I can set up the DVR to record it from any computer on the Internet.

Movie Blogs are also on my grateful list.  I started blogging almost two years ago because there wasn't much being written about Bit Actors.  It seems to be catching on, and hits on my blog are gradually increasing every month.  I have also met some wonderful friends here, though not in the flesh.  Bloggers are located all over the world, so it doesn't matter much where you are, we can be friends.  And groups like the Classic Movie Blog Association keep us together.

I am going to replace my old desktop computer in January, so that should give me more flexibility to capture content, and have pictures and maybe film clips available.  Who knows, maybe an HDTV and Blu-ray are in my future.

I am hoping for the new Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection DVD set and a bottle of good Scotch for Christmas.  Simple pleasures for a simple mind.  And if I don't get a chance later, I hope your holiday season is as happy as it can be, and it is filled with classic films.

Thurl Ravenscroft, Dramatic Basso Profondo

I am always fascinated by a good voice.  Some of my all time favs in the movies are the great voices of Basil Rathbone (1892 - 1967) and Andy Devine (1905 - 1977).  Right up there with them is Thurl Ravenscroft (1914 - 2005), a name not well known, but an unmistakable voice that probably hundreds of millions of people have heard, mostly without knowing it.  He is as famous for uncredited roles as Marnie Nixon (b. 1930) is for all of her ghost singing in major musicals.

While not strictly an actor, Thurl was a singer and voice artist in more than 50 titles from 1940 to 1998.  Most frequently he worked for Walt Disney...in animated films and shorts, and also as a voice heard at the Disney theme parks. 

Some of his early work was in Looney Tunes, working with Mel Blanc (1908 - 1989).  By the way, Blanc has over 1,000 titles listed on IMDb!  Thurl's first live action film was a comedy called Puddin' Head (1941) starring Judy Canova (1913 - 1983) where he was a singer in the Sportsman Quartet.  He also appears in Lost Canyon (9142) with William 'Hopalong Cassidy' Boyd.

In the late 1940s he starts a singing group called The Mellomen.  They worked in films and provided backup for singers as diverse as Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Arlo Guthrie, not to mention Spike Jones.  You can hear Ravenscroft and The Mellomen in Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953).

In 1954 The Mellomen appear in The Glenn Miller Story with James Stewart.  He was also the singing voice for Stewpot, played by Ken Clark, in South Pacific (1958). 

Back to Disney animated features Sleeping Beauty (1959), 101 Dalmatians (1961) and The Sword in the Stone (1963).  Also in 1963 he appears with Elvis in It Happened at the World's Fair.

I am not sure I have heard this, but he is listed as a voice singing in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).  I'll have to dig that one out and listen more closely.  And more Disney features, The AristoCats (1970) and The Many Adventures of Whinnie the Pooh (1977).

So the next time you find yourself at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, listen for Thurl's voice in everything!  The Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, as the lead singer in The Haunted Mansion song Grim, Grinning Ghosts, and calling 'All Aboard' at every train station. 

This time of year, you can't go more than a few feet from a radio without hearing Thurl singing You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch! from the 1966 TV short "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"  And his most famous part, also uncredited, is as Tony the Tiger for all the commercials for Frosted Flakes cereal.  I told you that you knew him!  He was Grrrrreat!

Margo Martindale

It occurs to me, from time to time, that most of what is written about Hollywood is about actors.  I have written about many actors, and very few actresses.  I should spend more time with actresses, or rather writing about them.

I was rambling through IMDb, as I am prone to do, and came across Days of Thunder (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), The Firm (1993), and Sabrina (1995).  An odd selection of movies that are somehow similar in quality.  Not great movies, but good movies.  And all have Margo Martindale (b. 1951) in perfect Bit Parts.  She has speaking lines in all of them, but not a major role in any.

Honestly, I don't remember her in her first film, Days of Thunder.  It was a racing movie with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.  Margo's part must have been very small.  Her next time on the big screen was The Rocketeer, that I wrote about a few days ago.  She played Millie the waitress, and was perfectly cast.  She looks like a waitress.

She had a better part in Lorenzo's Oil (1992) and a better starring cast with Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon.  Then, Nobody's Fool (1994) with Paul Newman, and Sabrina (the remake in 1995) with Harrison Ford.  It is interesting to see that she made multiple movies with many of the big names, which means she must be in demand.  Four with Nicole Kidman, three with Susan Sarandon, two with Meryl Streep, two starring Tom Cruise, etc.

Forward a few years to Practical Magic (1998) with Sandra Bullock and Kidman again.  Here she played a housewife who is a non-believer in magic, but comes around in the end.  In 2002 Margo has a small role in The Hours, but that movie stars Meryl Streep (and Kidman again), and anything with Meryl Streep has got to be good.  I haven't seen The Hours, but it should be on my list.

Million Dollar Baby (2004) a boxing film about a woman (Hilary Swank) and her trainer, Clint Eastwood.  That movie won four Oscars.  And more recently you can see Margo in Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) if you really want to, and Secretariat (2010). 

She also worked on television in several movies and had regular roles on "100 Centre Street," "The Riches," "Dexter," "Mercy," "Justified," and "A Gifted Man."

A slight Texas twang in her voice and a presence on screen that just makes you love her.  Margo Martindale is a perfect Bit Actress.  You'll recognize her every time you see her.

Roy Roberts - Another Familiar Face

I happened to catch Chinatown (1974) on TV this past holiday weekend.  This is a great Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway movie, made in the style of a 1930's murder mystery.  Lots of twists and turns to keep you thinking.  More movies should be made this way.  It is easy to watch.

I also saw the new Green Hornet (2011) movie, starring Seth Rogan.  It is the very antithesis of what could be called a classic film.  Rogan is severely mis-cast as the hero.  He would look more at home remaking Animal House (1978).  Plus the quick cuts in every action sequence makes it impossible to follow which car is being wrecked and who is being injured/killed.  Don't waste your time on that one.

Back to Chinatown.  Early in the film Mayor Bagby is talking about a reservoir project, and I knew I had to write about him.  Roy Roberts (1906 - 1975) is a face that everyone who has ever watched TV or been to the theater has seen. 

Chinatown was his second to last film.  He ended his movie career in 1975's The Strongest Man in the World, starring Kurt Russell.  (Chinatown was better with ten Oscar nominations and a win for Best Writer, compared to Strongest's no Oscars or nominations for anything.)  The funny thing is that he was 68 years old when he made Chinatown, but he looked the same at least ten years earlier as Admiral Rogers on "McHale's Navy."

Roberts' first major film was Guadalcanal Diary (1943) starring Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, and William Bendix.  Of course, there were loads of war movies turned out in the 1940s, and Roy was in many of them.  His next film was The Fighting Sullivans (1944). 

In 1946 he was in My Darling Clementine as the mayor.  It was his only time working with director John Ford.  Before moving to television, he made so many films with so many stars that it would be difficult to pick the best, or even to do enough research to find his larger parts.  He lists close to 200 titles on IMDb. 

Here are just a few pre-TV titles -

Gentleman's Agreement (1947 with Gregory Peck)

Captain from Castile (1947 with Tyrone Power)

Joan of Arc (1948 with Ingrid Bergman)
He Walked by Night (1948 with Richard Basehart)
Force of Evil (1948 with John Garfield)
Chain Lightning (1950 with Humphrey Bogart)
Skirts Ahoy! (1952 with Esther WIlliams)
Stars and Stripes Forever (1952 with Clifton Webb)

And so many more...

It was interesting that he could go from a co-starring role in one film to an uncredited role in his next.  A true sign of a great Bit Actor. 

Roberts' television work started in the early 1950s and it agreed with him.  His first regular role was "My Little Margie" but he appeared as a player in many shows before that.  He did teleplays and spots on series' but rarely more than three times. 

He hit it big as Captain Huxley on "The Gale Storm Show" appearing in over 80 episodes.  He went on to have regular parts on "McHale's Navy," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "The Lucy Show," "Bewitched," Petticoat Junction," and "Gunsmoke."  I also saw him in a "Gunsmoke" episode this weekend. 

I think we will be seeing Roy Roberts' face for many years to some.

What films did you watch over the Thanksgiving weekend?  And which Bit Actors did you see?

Laurel and Hardy New Release!

Last month a new collection of sound Laurel and Hardy films was released by Vivendi Entertainment.  Laurel & Hardy The Essential Collection includes all of the boys talkie shorts and many of the Hal Roach feature films.  Missing are silent films and the later 20th Century Fox films.

I bumped into a great write up by one of my heroes, Leonard Maltin on the MovieFanFare blog, which is part of Movies Unlimited.  I would be lost without Maltin's Movie Guide.

I have written several times about The Boys, and also about Richard Bann, who was instrumental in bringing the collection out.  Dick Bann was also heavily involved with the restoration of these films through the efforts of UCLA Film Preservation.  Since Dick is one of the most knowledgeable film historians in this area, he was able to guide the restoration of all of these films to include the original logos and titles. 

Many original 35mm prints were recovered, and the quality of these films (which I have not yet seen) is supposed to be incredible. 

My love of Laurel and Hardy goes back to my youth, watching them at The Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA on Saturday afternoons.  I also watched them on our old RCA 12" black and white television in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Then, in the later 1970s, I joined The Sons of the Desert, the international Laurel and Hardy appreciation society.  Now I could watch the films at meetings in 16mm prints on a large screen.  Many of those prints were rather poor dupes, though, so the quality was hit or miss.  The movies were always great!  One meeting was held at the Keswick, and we were able to rent a 35mm print.  That was a treat, especially because I was in the projection booth that night.

Some of the films started being released on video tape and then on DVD.  But these were usually made from the old television prints, and again, quality suffered, as well as content.  The television versions were not the same as the theatrical releases, but that's all that was available.

Dick and others have also recorded commentary tracks for some of the films, and there are also quite a few special features included to make this collection a must-have.

I suggest that you first read Dick Bann's article on the official Laurel and Hardy web site, and also check out the UCLA Film Preservation site.  Just click on my links.  Make a donation to UCLA, then write down the "Laurel & Hardy The Essential Collection" on  your holiday wish list.  Santa may be kind to you.  I am hoping he is to me!

Eddie Jones and The Rocketeer

I watched The Rocketeer (1991) the other day.  It is a movie my kids always liked, and it has some great nostalgia mixed in to a comic book story about an aerobatic pilot in the late 1930s who finds a rocket pack and flies off to save his girlfriend and the world from the Nazis.  It may not appeal to everyone, but I never met a movie I didn't like.

If you are a classic film buff and haven't seen this film, it is worth the time.  You will no doubt recognize a character made up to look like The Hoxton Creeper from the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film, The Pearl of Death (1944).  The Creeper was played by Rondo Hatton (1894 - 1946) and he reprised the role in House of Horrors, released in 1946.

Hatton made only 22 films before a fatal heart attack took him.  His appearance, that garnered him the role in Pearl, was due to the disease acromegaly, which disfigured him into the Creeper.  It is thought that Abraham Lincoln, and another Bit Actor named Andre the Giant (1946 - 1993), also suffered from acromegaly.  

In The Rocketeer, the Creeper part was called Lothar and was played by 7' tall Tiny Ron.  Ron has only 19 titles listed on IMDb.  But I think there will always be roles for a 7' Bit Actor!


A face you will probably recognize, but may not know the name, is Eddie Jones (b. 1937).  Jones played Malcom, who worked at the airfield and helped at the air shows. A year later he played Marla Hootch's father in A League of Their Own.


Jones stared out in acting slowly, but kept up a good pace.  He is in Trading Places (with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd) in 1983 as Cop #3.  He had recurring roles on television in "The Equalizer" and "Dark Shadows," and later as Jonathan Kent on "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman."  He had a regular part in "The Invisible Man."


On the big screen you can see Eddie in Cadillac Man (1990), The Grifters (1990), and Seabiscuit (2003) among many others.  At 75 years old, he is still acting.


The only other thing I want to mention is the music of The Rocketeer.  It is fabulous.  Of special note is the torch singer, played by Melora Hardin (b. 1967) at the South Seas Club.  She isn't listed in IMDb as a singer per se, so I am not sure it is her voice, but it was perfect.  I wish there were still clubs like that.


As far as the stars of The Rocketeer, I think they may have taken it a bit too seriously.  Timothy Dalton (b. 1944) especially.  But I think Dalton always takes his roles too seriously.  Terry O'Quinn (b.1952) played Howard Hughes, and he was very good in the part, even though it was very small.  


If you haven't seen it, SEE IT!