Classic Movie Hub Blog

Meet these obscure werewolves from classic film

Posted on January 11, 2025 by Toni Ruberto

A werewolf walks into a bar and ….

No, that’s not a joke. It’s the opening scene of a 1956 low-budget film with the straightforward and generic title of The Werewolf. And if you’ve seen other werewolf films, you’ll guess right away that the disheveled and anxious man who stumbles into a small-town bar with no memory is the title creature.

A close-up of the solid makeup work by Clay Campbell in the 1956 film *The Werewolf*.

Why? Well, he’s clearly distraught and depressed, characteristics we’ve seen in other classic film werewolves. Yes, werewolves violently rip necks open but have a heart – it’s not a life they chose. Thanks to Lon Chaney Jr. in his Universal films, I’ve always seen the werewolf as a pitiful creature, caught in a tragic life through no fault of its own. Often, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Chaney was in The Wolf Man. Or they are the victim of a family curse, a popular fate in films like Cry of the Werewolf (1944) and The Curse of the Werewolf (1961).

Chaney’s Wolf Man films worked so well because they were as much about Larry Talbot, the man, as they were about the wolf he became. When he was resurrected in the Universal mash-up films Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1942), House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945) he become sadder and more tragic in each film, begging to be killed so he can escape his cursed life.

“Back to a life of misery and despair – I only wanted to die,” he says in House of Dracula.

(He at least got to be the hero in the comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

* * * * *

Poor freezing-cold amnesiac Duncan March (played by Steven Ritch) has no idea why he woke up in the snow without his socks in *The Werewolf.*

For Duncan Marsh, our amnesiac lycanthrope in The Werewolf, his sad twist of fate happens after a car crash when he’s treated by two unscrupulous country doctors who use him as a test subject by injecting him with irradiated wolf serum they created to survive a nuclear apocalypse. (You’re right, that doesn’t make sense.)

When the disoriented Duncan (played by Steven Ritch) arrives at the bar with a twenty-dollar bill, he’s marked by a thug who follows him outside for the money. That’s how we learn this werewolf doesn’t transform by the light of a full moon; he simply needs to be afraid or angry. The thug never had a chance and the odds are stacked against our man-wolf who spends most of the film afraid or angry.

The only bit of luck Duncan has is stumbling into the office of the kind town doctor Gilchrist (Ken Christy) and his assistant/nurse Amy (Joyce Holden) who believe that something bad has happened to the pitiful and remorseful man. Though he’s starting to remember pieces of the past few days including the crash and the doctors, he is so skittish that he runs off. Gilchrist and Amy try to discover the truth and convince the sheriff (Don Megowan) to take Duncan alive. That will be a tough task with the whole town dressed in their hunting hats while out to destroy the “killer wolf.” (The scene of the vengeful torch-bearing mob is a throwback to Frankenstein and other Universal films.)

Dr. Gilchrist (Ken Christy) and his assistant/nurse Amy (Joyce Holden) try to help a stranger with amnesia (Steven Ritch) in *The Werewolf*.

Arriving in town are Duncan’s loving wife and young son, as well as the two “evil” doctors who are out to protect their experiment – or at least make sure their secret dies with Duncan. All these elements will, of course, converge.

* * * * *

I discovered The Werewolf while looking for werewolf films to watch in anticipation of two new films, Wolf Man from Blumhouse and The Beast Within.

Unfamiliar with it, I barely expected The Werewolf to reach “B-movie” level quality. But it has some surprisingly solid attributes including the wolf makeup and transformation, cinematography and how deeply affecting it is (try not to be touched in scenes with Duncan, his wife and son).

Shadows of prison cell bars loom behind the wolf man and evil scientist in the hunting hat in *The Werewolf.*

The makeup was created by Clay Campbell (The Return of the Vampire) and the wolf’s extra-long facial hair and ferocious pointed teeth hold up to other werewolves. The transformation is through time-lapse photography that is appropriate for genre. I appreciate that the creature is a true wolf and man as he stays the same size as both (even his suit stays intact).

Director of Photography Edward Linden (King Kong, Son of Kong), who died shortly after this film was completed, crafted stylish scenes. My favorite is when the evil doctors attack Duncan in his prison cell and the immense shadows cast from the bars are angled in a way to suggest that life is crashing down on the three men.

* * * * *

The opening credits give the “introducing” banner – used to herald a (hopefully) rising star – to Steven Ritch, who does a better-than-admiral job as our man-wolf. His pain is evident throughout and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him from the get-go, so I was expecting to see a nice line of acting credits for him after this film. Though he had a steady career, the roles that followed don’t depict that he given parts in recognition for the skills he showed in The Werewolf. He had small roles in a few movies and in many TV shows, plus writing credits including the 1957 film Plunder Road in which he also acted, along with episodes of such TV shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye and Wagon Train.

Though the film’s low budget is evident, and I felt cheated by the end, I still came away as a fan of The Werewolf.

* * * * *

A TRIO OF WEREWOLF FILMS

Here are three other notable werewolf films – one for historic reasons, the other two simply because I find them interesting.

The Werewolf (1913)

Canadian actress Phyllis Gordon was the original Universal monster in this silent film. The two-reeler was produced by Bison Film Co. and released by Universal Film Manufacturing Co., a precursor to Universal Studios.

Unfortunately, the film was destroyed in a 1924 fire and is considered lost so we can’t watch it but shouldn’t forget that it is part of film history.

It is based on a Navajo legend, which is mentioned in other werewolf films. This time, a spurned Navajo woman, a witch, raises her daughter, Watoma (Phyllis Gordon), to hate white men like her father, and teaches her how to change into a werewolf.

Watoma suffers her own tragedy and returns to life 100 years after her death seeking vengeance on the man who killed her boyfriend.

* * * * *

The Undying Monster(1942) (also known as The Hammond Monster)

I love this little-known horror film. It’s low budget, but high quality through the atmospheric cinematography of Lucien Ballard and a fun cast of actors with unfamiliar names.

What could those ferocious howls in the dark mean for the House of Hammond in *The Undying Monster.*

It’s set at one of those cliff side mansions so omnipresent in British horror films, this one being the magnificently grand House of Hammond.

Talk is immediate of legends of the Hammond monster and of the relative who sold his soul to the devil and now lives in a secret room in the castle. Adding to the drama is a spooky old Scottish saying – also carved into a basement wall – that portends tragedy ahead: “When stars are bright on a frosty night, beware thy bane on the rocky lane.” (A clear variation of the classic quote from The Wolf Man.)

Current castle residents are the spunky Helga (Heather Angel) and her brother Oliver (John Howard) who don’t believe all of that nonsense, but still live under the weight of it all.

A motley group searching for the legendary hidden room inside the Hammond mansion find all sorts of artifacts in *The Undying Monster*.

The film is highly atmospheric with action set mostly inside the candlelit castle that is colored by moody shadows. There are plenty of howls in the night – “lost souls,” the creepy maid says, and the cliffs are punctuated by large boulders and striking wind-swept trees frozen in movement.

When Howard is attacked on a moonlit night near where the body of maid is found mauled, it brings in a Scotland Yard scientist and his comical female sidekick Christy (Heather Thatcher) to investigate.

Is there really a curse? Is the killer beast or man? Sit around the campfire that is The Undying Monster and let the old yarn unravel and entertain you.

* * * * *

Calvin Lockhart plays a millionaire who has outfitted his island estate with microphones, cameras and televisions so he can hunt a werewolf in *The Beast Must Die.*

The Beast Must Die (1974)

Right before a full moon, millionaire big-game hunter Tom Newcliffe (played by Calvin Lockhart) invites five guests to his island mansion. (How rich is he? He has invested in a security system with cameras and microphones throughout the island that will track every move and sound that is made.)

Each guest has one thing in common: He or she has been at a site of mysterious and gruesome murders, and Tom is sure one is a werewolf. It gets uncomfortable right away as the guests and Tom’s wife learn why they’re there. Peter Cushing is among those invited. People will be tested (here, touch this silver item and prove you’re not a werewolf), guests will turn on each other (“The backs of your hands are covered in hair!” – one exclaims) and yes, there will be blood (1970s-style) and people will die.

Peter Cushing, left, Calvin Lockhart and Tom Chadbon are pictured in this lobby card for *The Beast Must Die.*

While this is a horror movie from trustworthy Amicus Productions, it’s also a detective story that asks the viewer to guess the identity of the werewolf.

So be warned: You will be given a 30-second countdown to share your answer before the wolf is revealed. You might even get a couple of chances to do so. How did I do? I botched it up, but it all made sense in the end.

– Toni Ruberto for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Toni’s Monsters and Matinees articles here.

Toni Ruberto, born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., is an editor and writer at The Buffalo News. She shares her love for classic movies in her blog, Watching Forever and is the board president and a member of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and its offshoot group, Buffalo Classic Movie Buffs. She is proud to have put Buffalo and its glorious old movie palaces in the spotlight as the inaugural winner of the TCM in Your Hometown contest. You can find Toni on Twitter at @toniruberto.

Posted in Horror, Monsters and Matinees, Posts by Toni Ruberto | Tagged Beast Must Die, Calvin Lockhart, Clay Campbell, Cry of the Werewolf, Curse of the Werewolf, Edward Linden, Joyce Holden, Ken Christy, lon chaney jr, peter cushing, Steven Ritch, The Undying Monster, The Werewolf, the wolf man | Leave a comment

Silver Screen Standards: On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Deep frost permeates Nicholas Ray’s 1951 noir classic, On Dangerous Ground, freezing both the soul of its protagonist and the stark winter landscape that dominates the second half of the film. Both constitute the “dangerous ground” of the title, with Robert Ryan slipping into violence as an urban cop whose disillusionment has chipped away his humanity until the next suspect he meets might well end up on the cold slab of the morgue. It’s a story with two very distinct parts, the first a gritty noir in a nighttime world of cops, crooks, and dark alleys, and the second a snowy Western where the open white space holds dangers of its own but also the opportunity for self-knowledge and even redemption. There are certainly aspects of On Dangerous Ground that don’t play as well today as they might have in the 1950s, particularly where police violence is concerned, but the movie still has a lot to recommend it, including lead performances by Ryan and Ida Lupino, striking cinematography in the snowy landscapes, and a noteworthy – and frequently familiar – score by Bernard Herrmann.

On Dangerous Ground, Cleo Moore, Robert Ryan — The women Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan) meets on the job do little to counter his cynicism, although he responds to the sex appeal of Myrna (Cleo Moore).

When jaded city cop Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan) vents his frustrations with the job by roughing up a series of suspects, his boss sends him to cool off out in the country, where the murder of a young girl has rocked the small community and sent her grieving father, Walter Brent (Ward Bond), in search of retribution. On the trail of their main suspect, the pair of men find Mary Malden (Ida Lupino), a blind woman who wants to protect her mentally unstable younger brother (Sumner Williams) but also feels a powerful sympathy for Jim. As he watches both Walter and Mary confront their own suffering and grief, Jim begins to reclaim his ability to care about other people, even those on the wrong side of the law.

On Dangerous Ground, Ward Bond, Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan — Walter (Ward Bond) at first doubts that Mary (Ida Lupino) is really blind, and Jim must stop from Walter from hurting her.

The first half of the film presents us with an anti-hero so dark and troubled that it’s hard to imagine redemption as an option. Ryan’s hard features sell us on Jim’s bitterness even before we see him lay hands on a suspect, but his brutality is shocking, even by the standards of the 1950s. Jim’s partners, Pete (Anthony Ross) and Pop (Charles Kemper) are also disturbed by his behavior; they are both married and have lives outside their jobs to keep them in touch with their own humanity, while Jim lives alone in a miserable one room apartment. Jim’s boss, Captain Brawley (Ed Begley), warns him that his violent outbursts cannot be allowed to continue, although Jim still seems surprised when he’s banished to “Siberia” after his abuse puts one suspect in the hospital. There’s no sense of Jim being invested in ideals like justice or fairness; he’s just another creature of the night, a predator whose prey happen to be wanted men. The city he prowls is filled with teenage prostitutes, crooks, and murderers, but even the ordinary citizens sense his tarnished nature and recoil from him. “Cops have no friends,” Jim opines. “Nobody likes a cop.” Thanks to his actions, it’s easy to see why.

On Dangerous Ground, Robert Ryan, Ida Lupino, Indoors — Mary’s courage and warmth quickly thaw Jim’s heart, even though he knows that she’s trying to protect her brother from capture.

Fortunately for Jim, the plot casts him out of the city’s dark heart and into the dazzling whiteness of a snow-covered countryside, where he encounters people who force him to rethink his perspective. Grief has hardened into bloodthirst in Walter Brent, who mirrors the kind of man Jim has also become but realizes he cannot continue to be. Walter intends to kill the suspect on sight, forcing Jim to become the one who practices restraint. Walter even attempts to strike Mary because he thinks she’s only pretending to be blind, and Jim must step in to protect her. If Walter offers Jim a grim reflection of the man he is now, Mary offers him a glimpse of the man he could become, someone who both gives and receives much-needed love in a cold, lonely world. Mary might be too much of a noble martyr to be wholly credible (why would she think allowing herself to go blind is a better option when it comes to caring for the unpredictable Danny?), but Ida Lupino invests the character with depth and interest through her performance. Even Danny, who only appears briefly, has a profound impact on Jim. The sea change in Jim’s perspective might be hurried in such a short film, where most of the action takes place within 24 hours, but the story in many ways resembles A Christmas Carol without the supernatural elements, and in Dickens’ tale the spirits also accomplish their aims with Scrooge very quickly. It would be nice to see more of Jim’s redemption arc so we feel that he really deserves his second chance; the theme of the picture, however, is the importance of forgiveness and sympathy even to those who don’t seem to deserve them, so we have to choose to believe that Jim will live up to the opportunity extended to him.

On Dangerous Ground, Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, outdoors — The treacherous winter landscape provides a different kind of dangerous ground for Mary and Jim.

Director Nicholas Ray is remembered for his excellent contributions to classic noir, including They Live by Night (1948), In a Lonely Place (1950), and Johnny Guitar (1954), although his crowning achievement is the coming-of-age drama, Rebel without a Cause (1955). Ida Lupino played ingenues in her early career but eventually found her way into grittier roles more worthy of her talent, with some of my favorites being They Drive by Night (1940) and Ladies in Retirement (1941). Robert Ryan was equally at home in both Westerns and noir and often played villains, but I particularly admire his performance as the sympathetic boxer in The Set-Up (1949). You can see both Lupino and Ryan in Beware, My Lovely (1952), and Ray also directs Ryan in Born to be Bad (1950), The Racket (1951), and Flying Leathernecks (1951). The Western ambience in the second half of On Dangerous Ground is enhanced by the presence of genre regular Ward Bond, of course, but also by Olive Carey as Walter Brent’s wife and Frank Ferguson as Mr. Willows.

…

— Jennifer Garlen for Classic Movie Hub

Jennifer Garlen pens our monthly Silver Screen Standards column. You can read all of Jennifer’s Silver Screen Standards articles here.

Jennifer is a former college professor with a PhD in English Literature and a lifelong obsession with film. She writes about classic movies at her blog, Virtual Virago, and presents classic film programs for lifetime learning groups and retirement communities. She’s the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching and its sequel, Beyond Casablanca II: 101 Classic Movies Worth Watching, and she is also the co-editor of two books about the works of Jim Henson.

Posted in Films, Posts by Jennifer Garlen, Silver Screen Standards | Tagged cleo moore, ida lupino, nicholas ray, On Dangerous Ground, robert ryan, ward bond | Leave a comment

Western Roundup: 1950 Westerns

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Laura Grieve

1950 Westerns

In this month’s column, as we turn the corner into the new year, I want to particularly focus on several Westerns celebrating their 75th anniversaries in 2025.

1950 was a key year in the Western genre. Important new directors emerged on the scene, and their films demonstrated the continued evolution and maturation of the genre. A number of Westerns now considered classics broke new ground, featuring psychologically troubled heroes or heroines and boldly tackling racism toward Indians.

Meanwhile, the great John Ford released two of his loveliest works in 1950.

Troubled Heroes

Director Anthony Mann had been learning his craft in “B” films and crime movies throughout the ’40s; his career took a major step forward in 1950 with the release of three major Westerns. The first of those films, Winchester ’73 (1950), was also the beginning of his noteworthy eight-film collaboration with James Stewart.

In Winchester ’73 Stewart plays Lin McAdam, who travels the west in search of a man named Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally) and the titular rifle. Stewart continued his postwar character evolution first glimpsed in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): He’s likeable as always, yet with a substantially darker side. Viewers don’t learn the reason for Lin’s trauma until late in the movie; the script is remarkably well-written (by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards) and performed by Stewart. When Lin gets angry, he can be downright terrifying, yet he also has a tender side, gallantly looking after a young woman played by Shelley Winters.

Mann’s next Western was The Furies (1950), in which Barbara Stanwyck plays Vance, a very, well, messed-up woman. Vance has masochistic tendencies, which become apparent in her relationship with Rip (Wendell Corey), and she also has a strangely physical and possessive relationship with her father (Walter Huston) which leads her to violence against her new stepmother (Judith Anderson). Meanwhile Vance rejects a permanent, healthier relationship with the ill-fated man who truly loves her (Gilbert Roland). This film laid the groundwork for later Western melodramas featuring significant female leads such as Rancho Notorious (1952), Johnny Guitar (1954), and Forty Guns (1957).

From director Henry King that year came The Gunfighter (1950), one of Gregory Peck’s best-known Westerns. Gunfighter Jimmy Ringo (Peck), the fastest gun in the west, is tired of constantly being challenged by foolish men hoping to beat him to the draw. He visits his estranged wife (Helen Westcott) on the way to what he hopes will be a new, anonymous life in California, but several men are on his trail and it seems his quiet life is not to be. Peck is moving as a man who can’t even drink a cup of coffee without carefully positioning himself with his back against a wall, demonstrating that commonly accepted Western violence had an unhappy dark side. The story by William Bowers and Andre de Toth was nominated for the Oscar.

Injustice Toward Indians

Returning to director Anthony Mann, his third Western released in 1950 was Devil’s Doorway (1950), one of a couple very significant films about the treatment of American Indians. The other key 1950 title viewing Indians in a sympathetic light was Broken Arrow (1950), the first Western directed by Delmer Daves, who would become an important writer and director in the genre. Daves’ later Westerns included The Last Wagon (1956) and 3:10 to Yuma (1956).

It’s interesting to note that leading up to 1950, Devil’s Doorway and Broken Arrow were preceded by “B” films which expressed greater sympathy toward Native Americans, such as Tim Holt’s Indian Agent (1948) and Gene Autry’s The Cowboy and the Indians (1949). With Devil’s Doorway and Broken Arrow, issues of bigotry and injustice toward Indians moved front and center in major studio releases with top stars.

In MGM’s Devil’s Doorway, Robert Taylor plays Broken Lance Poole, who returns to his Wyoming home after serving in the Civil War. He discovers that his having been awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor doesn’t impress his neighbors, who have become hostile in his absence and are using homesteading laws to steal his longtime home. Taylor is superb in a searing film which is almost hard to watch, as bit by bit an honorable man’s life is torn asunder for no reason other than his ethnicity. Intriguingly, I’ve read more than one reference to this film being a forerunner of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

In 1950 James Stewart followed his work in Universal Pictures’ Winchester ’73 with 20th Century-Fox’s Broken Arrow, in which his character tries to broker peace between white settlers and Apache Indians, only to suffer an enormous personal loss due to hatred of Apaches; though Stewart’s character is initially less dark than in Winchester ’73, he again finds himself in the midst of tragedy. Broken Arrow was nominated for three Oscars, including screenplay. Director Delmer Daves would return to the subject of Indians and peace a few years later in Drum Beat (1954) with Alan Ladd.

Classics From the Master

Director John Ford made two of my all-time favorite films in 1950, Rio Grande (1950) and Wagon Master (1950).

Rio Grande, the last of Ford’s Cavalry Trilogy, is a more traditional Western in terms of the clash between frontier soldiers and Indians; the Indians kidnapping children near the movie’s climax shows them in a very bad light indeed.

At the same time, the movie has a beautiful theme of postwar reconciliation, as John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara play a couple estranged for many years due to events which took place during the Civil War. It’s a lovely story as they find their way back to one another. The exuberance and bravery of young cast members Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and Claude Jarman Jr. adds to an optimistic picture of Americans settling the West.

Wagon Master, in which Ford cast young actors Johnson and Carey in the leads as wagon train trail guides, is to my thinking one of the most beautiful Westerns ever made. Everything about it, from the casting to the music to the locations, is exquisite, and I love the film’s naturalistic feel, incorporating unexpected incidents such as a horse fall and Ward Bond’s pants being ripped by a dog. It’s another ultimately upbeat film about the courage of pioneers in our nation’s westward expansion.

Other Significant Films of 1950

1950 was also an important year for Audie Murphy, who became a Western star with the release of three films, including Sierra (1950). Joel McCrea had a quartet of Westerns in 1950, including the lovely Stars in My Crown (1950) – which perhaps more fairly might be called a “frontier settler” film – and one of my personal favorites, Saddle Tramp (1950). It was also a good year for Randolph Scott, with three Westerns including The Nevadan (1950) and The Cariboo Trail (1950). Short Grass (1950) with Rod Cameron was another favorite Western released in 1950, one of three Cameron Westerns released that year.

The impact of television on “B” Western production was still a few years off, and they continued to be released at a fast pace in 1950, with half a dozen films apiece for stars Tim Holt, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. Rogers’ releases included the fondly recalled Christmas Western Trail of Robin Hood (1950).

I invite Western RoundUp readers to celebrate the 75th anniversary of all these films by viewing as many of them as possible in the year ahead. Happy New Year!

…

– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns. She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals. Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.

Posted in Posts by Laura Grieve, Western RoundUp | Tagged Audie Murphy, barbara stanwyck, broken arrow, Claude Jarman Jr., dan duryea, Devil's Doorway, gregory peck, james stewart, Jeff Chandler, john ford, john wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Millard Mitchell, rio grande, Robert Taylor, Roy Rogers, shelly winters, sierra, The Furies, the gunfighter, Trail of Robin Hood 1950, wagon master, walter huston, wendell corey, winchester '73 | 3 Comments

Silents Are Golden: The Top 10 (Possible) Hit Films of 1924

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Lea Stans

The Top 10 (Possible) Hit Films of 1924

As 2024 is drawing to a close, I’m reminded that a number of iconic silent films are now 100 years old: Sherlock Jr, The Thief of Bagdad, Greed. These kinds of milestones always spark my curiosity: were these films as popular back then as they are today? What were the U.S.A.’s top 10 highest-grossing films from 1924?

Last year I wrote a similar list focusing on 1923, and like last year I’ll caution that it can be very difficult to figure out silent film box office numbers. Some films were released in specific regions, some were more expensive to exhibit than others, and others were rented by exhibitors for a flat fee and shown multiple times without anyone keeping exact track. Thus, 1920s box office numbers will always be somewhat muddled. So perhaps our list can start with the “best bets” for inclusion on the list (consider the following box office numbers “rough estimates”), followed by some possible contenders.

….

Best Bets:

Girl Shy – $1.5 million

Not for nothing was Harold Lloyd one of the 1920s’ biggest box office draws! Lloyd plays a bashful young man who can’t bring himself to talk to girls, but nevertheless wants to publish a “how-to” book about winning over the opposite sex. Then, of course, he just happens to cross paths with the lovely Mary Buckingham. This was the first full-length motion picture Lloyd released under his own production company, and it features a number of his own dangerous stunts.

….

Hot Water – $1.35 million

Another winning comedy from Lloyd, this followup to Girl Shy had an episodic structure featuring Lloyd as a family man. The first part focuses on his exploits trying to get a live turkey home after winning it in a raffle, while the next two show him at odds with his in-laws. More of a series of comedy shorts than your typical feature, Hot Water was nevertheless a huge hit.

…..

The Iron Horse – $943,000

John Ford’s romantic tale of the “taming of the west” recreated the building of the trans-continental railroad. Cast and crew endured freezing temps and blizzards while filming on location in Nevada. Described today as “the Grandfather of the Western epic,” it was a major success for Fox and only cost half as much to make as Paramount’s The Covered Wagon blockbuster from the year before.

…..

America – $1.75 million

D.W. Griffith’s epic telling of the American Revolution might appear to have been a success, but its budget of nearly a million dollars made it more of a flop. While grand in scale, its earnest tone, jumbled timeline and liberal use of title cards made it seem quaint next to the jazzy comedies and sophisticated dramas that were more in vogue.

…..

The Thief of Bagdad – $1.5 mill

All-American megastar Douglas Fairbanks spared no expense in making this lavish adaptation of the Arabian Nights, full of lush costumes and magical special effects. Considered his finest film today, The Thief of Bagdad was a mega hit–and if you count Canadian box office receipts, it grossed around 3million.

And the #1 champ of the box office in 1924? That was most likely:

…..

The Sea Hawk – $2 million

Milton Sills is the star of this seafaring adventure about the baronet Oliver Tressilian who is shanghaied, sold into slavery, and then escapes to become the pirate leader Sakr-el-Bahr. Director Frank Lloyd insisted on building full size replicas of 16th century ships. His battle sequences were so well done that when The Sea Hawk was remade in 1940 several of the 1924 action scenes were simply spliced into the film.

…..

Possible Contenders:

Secrets: – $1.5 million?

This touching historical drama, showing an elderly woman reflecting back on her decades living in the frontier, shows up in a number of online sources about 1924 hit films. The “1.5 million” statistic might stem from the unreliable 1937-8 Motion Picture Almanac edited by historian Terry Ramsaye, and the film itself was treated pretty routinely by 1920s trade magazines. At any rate, it does feature a masterful performance by Norma Talmadge, one of the era’s brightest stars.

…..

Feet of Clay – $900,000

Shot on Catalina Island, this Cecil B. DeMille society drama apparently had a bit of everything–romance, tragedy, scandal, and touches of light comedy. Ads declared it “had a story so modern it might have been written an hour ago.” And if its reported box office is any indication, it must have had something for nearly everyone.

…..

He Who Gets Slapped – $880,000

Audiences marveled at Lon Chaney’s acting skills and incredible ability to transform himself into freakish characters. He Who Gets Slapped is the sorrowful drama of a man who loses both his life’s work and his beloved wife, who betrays him. He begins working in a circus, where he creates a comedic clown act where he’s repeatedly slapped in the face. It received rave reviews, with some critics considering it a near-perfect film.

…..

The Navigator – $680,000

Buster Keaton’s brilliant, breezy comedy was the biggest hit of his silent career. Following the adventures of a rich but naive young man who ends up adrift on a ship with his former sweetheart, it’s every bit as funny today as it was 100 years ago.

…..

Peter Pan – $630,000

Lastly, let’s forget one of the finest film versions of this popular tale. Hollywood was buzzing about it long before it entered theaters, and many young actresses vied to be cast as Peter Pan. Betty Bronson was eventually awarded the role, reportedly thanks to J.M. Barrie himself. Beautifully photographed and full of charm and warmth, it was a hit in its time and it’s still an excellent family film today.

…

–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.

Lea Stans is a born-and-raised Minnesotan with a degree in English and an obsessive interest in the silent film era (which she largely blames on Buster Keaton). In addition to blogging about her passion at her site Silent-ology, she is a columnist for the Silent Film Quarterly and has also written for The Keaton Chronicle.

Posted in Films, Posts by Lea Stans, Silents are Golden | Tagged america, betty bronson, Buster Keaton, cecil b. demille, d.w. griffith, Douglas Fairbanks Sr, feet of clay, Girl Shy, Harold lloyd, he who gets slapped, hit films of 1924, Hot Water, john ford, Lon Chaney, Milton Sills, Peter Pan, Secrets (1924), The Iron Horse, The Navigator, the sea hawk, the thief of bagdad | Leave a comment

Noir Nook: In Appreciation for Frank Chambers

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

In Appreciation for Frank Chambers

I’ve been a fan of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) for as long as I can remember – it was one of the first noirs I ever saw as a child. (I recall that I didn’t initially understand what the title meant – and how thrilled I was when I finally figured it out.) But when I think of it, the first, and often only, character who comes to mind is Cora Smith, played by the luminous Lana Turner. In the spirit of turnabout being fair play, I’m devoting this month’s Noir Nook to John Garfield’s Frank Chambers and five reasons why he deserves some love.

John Garfield, Postman Always Rings Twice, Frank Chambers — John Garfield, The Postman Always Rings Twice

That breath that Frank visibly intakes when he sees Cora for the first time. Until that moment, he’d come off like kind of a hard-shelled guy. Somebody who was completely comfortable in his skin and with his lifestyle, who didn’t take any guff, and who was up for any adventure, challenge, or obstacle. And then he gets a load of Cora and, for a couple of seconds, he’s just a blushing, thunderstruck schoolboy in the presence of the school’s most popular girl. (I like that in a man.)

Frank’s cocky side. Once he gets over his initial reaction to Cora (and, really, it takes literal seconds), we see his penchant for smartassery. First, after picking up Cora’s dropped lipstick from the floor, Frank cheekily ignores her outstretched hand and makes her cross the room to retrieve it. And in the next scene, while Cora tries to get his goat by spitting out orders and threatening to fire him, Frank sits with his feet propped on a table, reading the newspaper, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, matching her malice with nonchalant impertinence.

Frank’s ability to think fast on his feet. There was the scene where he convinced Nick (Cecil Kellaway) to replace his old diner sign with a new neon version, and then casually ensured that Nick thought it was his own idea. And when the District Attorney came snooping around after Nick’s “accident” in the bathtub, Frank quickly came up with a plausible reason for the ladder being propped against the house, using the sight of the dead cat to bolster his explanation. And, later when Kennedy (Alan Reed) showed up with blackmail on his mind, Frank quickly assessed the situation and decided on the best course of action – beating Kennedy to a pulp.

John Garfield, Lana Turner, Alan Reed, Postman Always Rings Twice — John Garfield, Lana Turner, Alan Reed

Frank’s skill in serving up the Kennedy beatdown. I just love the way he carried it out – with a combination of punching proficiency, cucumber-cool, and absolute control of the situation. He broke a sweat, but he rarely raised his voice, and he was completely fearless, like he dealt with this kind of situation every day of the week. (And that final, unexpected jab, delivered so that Kennedy would “act right” when his partner arrived, was the cherry on top of the sundae.)

Frank’s love for Cora. Frank was clearly attracted by Cora’s long legs, shapely figure, and stunning face, but his feelings were more than surface lust; it was obvious that he truly loved her. If we weren’t sure, he proved it – like he proved it to Cora – by helping her back to shore after that last late-night swim. And it also showed in his jail cell conversation with the priest at the film’s end: “Father, would you send up a prayer for me and Cora?” he plaintively requests. “And if you can find it in your heart, make it that we’re together, wherever it is.”

John Garfield, Postman Always Rings Twice

So, if you can find it your heart, the next time you watch The Postman Always Rings Twice, give a little extra attention to Frank Chambers. He deserves it!

…

– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Karen’s Noir Nook articles here.

Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on movies and performers from the film noir and pre-Code eras, and the editor-in-chief of The Dark Pages, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to all things film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter at @TheDarkPages.
If you’re interested in learning more about Karen’s books, you can read more about them on amazon here:

Posted in Noir Nook, Posts by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry | Tagged Cecil Kellaway, john garfield, lana turner, The Postman Always Rings Twice | Leave a comment

Monsters and Matinees: Joe Dante’s Passion for Classic B-Movies is a Gift for Film Buffs

Posted on December 14, 2024 by Toni Ruberto

Joe Dante’s Passion for Classic B-Movies is a Gift for Film Buffs

In Piranha, thousands of tiny fish – already known for their carnivorous appetites – go bonkers for human flesh after being genetically modified by the government. Among the film’s stars are Barbara Steele, Kevin McCarthy, Bradford Dillman and Dick Miller.

Matinee has a William Castle-type of showman hawking his latest film, Mant!, about a half-man, half-ant beast. Look for McCarthy, Miller and Robert O. Cornthwaite.

And the cute little creatures in Gremlins come with the warning that you must never, ever feed them after midnight – or else.

Welcome to the sci-fi and horror B-movies of the 1950s – in spirit, that is, since Piranha was released in 1978, Gremlins in 1984 and Matinee in 1993. All are from talented filmmaker Joe Dante, whose more than 40-year career has the soul of classic sci-fi and horror, the very movies he watched as a kid.

“Those movies made us believe a tarantula was coming down the street,” Dante said, referencing the 1955 film “Tarantula” during one of his multiple appearances on the recent Turner Classic Movies Classic Cruise. On the cruise, he introduced a few of his films and sat for two insightful hour-long interviews with TCM hosts treating audiences to behind-the-scenes stories about his work, his lifelong passion for movies and his “film schooling” under Roger Corman.

Director Joe Dante, left, often had Turner Classic Movie host Ben Mankiewicz and the audience laughing during his entertaining conversations on the TCM Classic Cruise in October 2024. (Photo courtesy of Turner Classic Movies)

But what really stuck with me was how his career was undeniably linked to those 1950s creature films he watched as a kid, and how one of his films, above all, is the “closest movie to me” – Matinee.

“I am the kid in the movie,” he says about the movie-loving teen at the heart of Matinee. “It’s very personal to me. It’s a movie about why I love movies.”

Originally about a haunted movie theater, Matinee morphed into a story about a film huckster (robustly played by John Goodman) that was set during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 – a very scary time for Dante as a teen.

“That was the weekend we didn’t know if we were going back to school,” Dante said. “The weekend we feared the world was going to end.”

Joe Dante’s love of 1950s B-movies can be seen in *Mant!,* the movie-within-a-movie in Dante’s 1993 film *Matinee*. That’s Cathy Moriarty with the title creature.

Dante wanted the film to be a scrupulous re-creation of 1962 and that meant everything in the film had to look like it was state-of-the-art in 1962, not 1993 when Matinee was made. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the nostalgic and entertaining movie-within-a-movie, Mant!

“It was a tribute to all ‘50s sci-fi movies I saw as a kid,” Dante said about Mant! “And I saw a lot as a kid at the Saturday matinees.”

How many? Well, if you wanted to know where Joe Dante was as a kid, he said, you would be told “Dante’s at the movies.”

“It was my church. When the lights go down, you don’t know what you will see, but it will change your life,” he said.

Initially, Dante went to matinees to watch the cartoons – he had dreams of being a cartoonist – and didn’t like the movies that were being shown afterward. But it took only one film to change his mind.

“One day I stayed to see It Came from Outer Space – and thought ‘hmm, these movies with grown-ups can be pretty good,’ ” he shared.

“I became enamored with movies. I never thought I would make them,” Dante added. “But I did find making movies was what I was supposed to do.”

We can thank Roger Corman for helping him along the way.

The Corman effect

“If Roger Corman hadn’t hired me, I would not be sitting here and wouldn’t have a career – and I wasn’t the only one,” Dante said on the TCM Cruise, referring to the many filmmakers who learned the ropes by working with Corman including Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Ron Howard and James Cameron.

Corman had a talent for finding people who “really, really wanted to make movies and they were gonna make the best ‘Woman in Cages’ movie,” Dante laughed, referencing a string of women behind bars films made by Corman’s New World Pictures.

“The great thing about Roger Corman is that he would hire people with no experience in the movie business,” Dante said. “He didn’t like to pay a lot of money. He would get these kids and pay them nothing and I was one of those kids.”

Dante got his start creating trailers along with his friend Allan Arkush for Corman. The two made their first film when Corman took on a bet to make the cheapest film ever for New World Pictures. The film – and winner of the bet – was Hollywood Boulevard, co-directed by Dante and Arkush in 10 days for about $50,000. They used footage from previous Corman movies in their film about a B-movie studio called Miracle Pictures where “if it’s a good picture, it a miracle.” That economy was the cornerstone of Corman films.

“There are many obstacles to making a Roger Corman film,” Dante said. “And no matter what he would throw at you, you would find a way around it. And all of the things you learned working with Roger were things you would use working with people who had money, but none of them knew as much about films as Roger.”

When asked what Corman taught him, Dante quickly said “to make decisions.”

Bradford Dillman, left, and Kevin McCarthy face carnivorous fish in Joe Dante’s *Piranha.*

Piranha, Jaws and Spielberg

Two years after his co-directing work on Hollywood Boulevard, Dante made his solo directorial debut with Piranha, which he laughingly – but affectionately – called “another $1.98 special.”

It was also, he told the TCM audience, a film that would not have been released except for the help of another young filmmaker, Steven Spielberg.

Universal Studios was preparing to release Jaws 2, the sequel to Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws, and as happens in Hollywood, the copycats had been coming fast. To protect the box office for Jaws 2, Universal was doing what it could to block competition and that would include Piranha.

Universal was “was very, very unhappy to have an upstart Jaws” rip-off at the same time Jaws 2 was being released, Dante said.

In an early scene in *Piranha,* Heather Menzies plays a *Jaws* video game. Joe Dante said it was a way to acknowledge his film’s ties to *Jaws*.

Luckily for Dante, as he later learned, Spielberg stepped in. “He said ‘you guys don’t get it – it’s a spoof not a rip-off.’ … Well of course it was a rip-off,” Dante laughed to the delight of the audience.

And Dante knew that while he was making Piranha. “We had a character play a Jaws game just to say, ‘we know it’s a Jaws rip-off,’ ” Dante said.

What set it apart from the other Jaws rip-offs was the writing.

“The secret is to have a great writer,” Dante said. “The characters are good, and the movie was much better than the Jaws rip-off it was intended to be.”

More from Joe Dante

I have notebooks filled with what Dante shared during the TCM Classic Cruise and, as a classic horror fan, I couldn’t get enough. His stories were entertaining, funny, sometimes bittersweet and always genuine.

My story was how the karo syrup used for blood in Piranha created a fungus – a new life, environmental experts told the filmmakers – that had to be exterminated. Dante seemed proud as he shared that tale and I thought it would make a perfect plot for one of films.

Here are just a few more.

Filmmaker Joe Dante is a champion of Turner Classic Movies, calling the network “a gem” on the recent TCM Classic Cruise. *(Photo courtesy of Turner Classic Movies.)*

On his early days making movie trailers for Roger Corman: “I made it my crusade that if I knew a scene was being cut out of a film, I would put it in [the trailer] for posterity.”

Watching a movie in theaters: “What a communal joy it is to experience that kind of entertainment. It’s why we’re still here, why we still do this. We just love seeing movies and seeing movies with an audience is the cream of the crop.”

On Targets, the directorial debut of Peter Bogdanovich: “It is one of the best first movies by a director.”

On Turner Classic Movies: “The gift that has been given to us by TCM …. The one place you know you can see a movie the way it’s supposed to look is TCM. It’s such a gem and people need to appreciate it.”

On the movie theater scene when the film broke in Gremlins: “Projectionists hated me. If you didn’t tell them right away, they thought the film really broke.”

On Gremlins: “Warner Brothers didn’t like the project but OK’d it because he (Steven Spielberg) wanted to do it. The script was very violent; at its heart, it was a horror movie.

On his Trailers from Hell web series: “It’s always rewarding to me when people say I saw a trailer on your site and it led me to watch the movie and now I’m a big fan of the director. I feel like I’m giving back.”

A lobby card for *Attack of the Crab Monsters* shows Leslie Bradley, left, Richard Garland, Pamela Duncan and Russell Johnson.

Dante approved films

Dante has often talked about his favorite classic horror films. Here are 10:

Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957). Roger Corman directs film about telepathic giant crabs.

Black Sabbath (1963). Mario Bava horror anthology hosted by Boris Karloff.

Black Sunday (1960). Bava’s “official” directorial debut stars Barbara Steele in two roles.

Cry of the Werewolf (1944). A young Nina Foch is a gypsy suffers from a family curse.

Macabre (1958). Showman William Castle – an inspiration in Dante’s Matinee – gave moviegoers a $10,000 insurance policy in case they died while watching his film.

Die, Monster, Die! (1965). Karloff stars in loose adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft story.

This Island Earth (1955). Jack Arnold had a hand in co-directing this tale of atomic scientists unwittingly brought together to help visitors from another planet.

The Return of the Vampire (1943). Bela Lugosi stars as a vampire not named Dracula in film from Columbia Pictures.

Target Earth (1954). Richard Denning is one of a small group of survivors in a deserted city during an alien robot invasion.

Tarantula (1955). Jack Arnold directs one of the great B-movies about a giant tarantula terrorizing a desert town.

More on the TCM Classic Cruise

To read more about the TCM Cruise and other guests, here’s the link to another story I wrote.

– Toni Ruberto for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Toni’s Monsters and Matinees articles here.

Toni Ruberto, born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., is an editor and writer at The Buffalo News. She shares her love for classic movies in her blog, Watching Forever and is a member and board chair of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and led the offshoot group, Buffalo Classic Movie Buffs. She is proud to have put Buffalo and its glorious old movie palaces in the spotlight as the inaugural winner of the TCM in Your Hometown contest. You can find Toni on Twitter at @toniruberto and on Bluesky at @Watchingforever.bsky.social.

Posted in Classic Movie Hub, Horror, Monsters and Matinees, Posts by Toni Ruberto, TCM | Tagged Allan Arkush, Bradford Dillman, Dick Miller, Gremlins, Hollywood Boulevard, It Came from Outer Space, Jaws, Jaws 2, Joe Dante, Kevin McCarthy, Mant!, Matinee, Piranha, roger corman, steven spielberg, TCM Cruise | Leave a comment

Silver Screen Standards: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

While I’ve never had any interest in diamonds, I do enjoy watching Marilyn Monroe sing about them in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), the Technicolor film adaptation of the 1949 stage musical based on Anita Loos’ flapper era novel. Monroe’s big number, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” is a truly iconic moment in film history that has been copied, referenced, and parodied countless times (including, most recently, in Ryan Gosling’s show-stopping performance of “I’m Just Ken” at the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony). While the film’s ultimate message leaves a lot of room for debate, Monroe’s charisma as material girl Lorelei Lee is undeniable, while Jane Russell handily debunks the title’s claim with her appealing performance as Lorelei’s brunette bestie.

Gentlemen Monroe Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend — Marilyn Monroe creates an iconic movie moment with her performance of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

Monroe and Russell play showgirls Lorelei and Dorothy, who look out for each other above all as various men enter their lives. On the verge of landing meek millionaire Gus Esmond (Tommy Noonan) over the objections of his father, Lorelei embarks on a transatlantic cruise to Paris with Dorothy as chaperone, but temptation appears in the form of smitten diamond mine mogul Sir Francis Beekman (Charles Coburn). Lorelei tries to match Dorothy with a millionaire of her own, but Dorothy feels more attracted to Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid), not knowing that Ernie is really a private detective hired by Esmond’s father to spy on Lorelei.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Tommy Noonan and Marilyn Monroe — Lorelei’s charms have thoroughly conquered millionaire Gus (Tommy Noonan), but his father hopes to break up the match.

1953 was a big year for Monroe, which also saw her starring in the color noir Niagara and How to Marry a Millionaire, but Gentlemen Prefer Blondes gives her the most screen time and opportunity to demonstrate her skills as a musical performer. Her particular version of the comedic “dumb blonde” character is so persuasive that it obscures the talent such a role requires, but Lorelei isn’t as dumb as everyone assumes. While Dorothy might be considered the smart one of the pair, Lorelei has a much better understanding of her value as a desirable commodity in a patriarchal society where men control access to wealth. Her speech to Gus’s father at the end of the movie points out that men don’t value intelligence in women, and therefore Lorelei finds it prudent to hide hers from suitors who only care about her looks. She might not know what to do with a tiara, but Lorelei recognizes a double standard when she sees one, as she rightly observes that men blame women for wanting rich husbands even as they forbid their own daughters from taking poor ones. The gold digger is another classic feminine stereotype, going at least as far back as Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair, but Monroe invests hers with wide-eyed sweetness that never seems artificial. Like the plucky gals in the Gold Diggers movies of the 1930s, Lorelei has developed her mercenary marital views as a practical strategy for survival. That’s not to say that Anita Loos intended Lorelei to be read as a heroine or that the movie, with its emphasis on marriage as a woman’s only life goal, really works as a coherent critique of patriarchy. Both women, after all, end the picture at the altar and presumably give up their stage careers for domestic life. Monroe, however, makes us like and root for Lorelei even when her behavior is most questionable, and the women’s unwavering loyalty to one another reminds us that their friendship always comes first.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe — Dorothy (Jane Russell) and Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) are always loyal to one another, and their friendship is more interesting than any of their romances.

Of course, the film boasts considerable star power in addition to Monroe, with Jane Russell taking top billing and commanding plenty of screen time for herself. Her performance of “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love” is particularly robust, and her impersonation of Lorelei in the courtroom scene is a hoot. Russell’s Dorothy, who is streetwise but still an idealist about romance, is a perfect foil to Monroe’s Lorelei, and we like Dorothy even more for making it clear to Ernie that he will only win her love by respecting her devotion to her friend. Everyone else takes a backseat to the pair of leading ladies, but Tommy Noonan and Elliott Reid are fun as their most ardent admirers, while little George Winslow always cracks me up as Henry Spofford III. Charles Coburn makes for an amusing old heel as “Piggy” Beekman, waggish scamps of advanced years being something of a character specialty for him. Behind the camera, director Howard Hawks keeps the action moving with help from Charles Lederer’s energetic screenplay and Jack Cole’s choreography.

Gentlemen Russell Jane Russell impersonating Lorelei — Dorothy’s impersonation of Lorelei in a Parisian courtroom is one of the picture’s comedy highlights.

The box office success of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes spawned a 1955 sequel called Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, which also adapts an Anita Loos story and stars Jane Russell, but it’s not nearly as celebrated. Russell is better remembered today for her roles in The Outlaw (1943) and His Kind of Woman (1951), but Monroe’s enduring fame towers over that of her costar. For more of Charles Coburn’s old rogues, see The Lady Eve (1941), The More the Merrier (1943), and Heaven Can Wait (1943). You can also see Monroe, Coburn, and George Winslow in Howard Hawks’ Monkey Business (1952). Tommy Noonan and Coburn both feature in How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955), which was intended as the next project for Monroe but ended up starring Betty Grable with Sheree North in Monroe’s role after Monroe refused to do the picture.

…

— Jennifer Garlen for Classic Movie Hub

Jennifer Garlen pens our monthly Silver Screen Standards column. You can read all of Jennifer’s Silver Screen Standards articles here.

Posted in Films, Posts by Jennifer Garlen, Silver Screen Standards | Tagged Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, jane russell, marilyn monroe, tommy noonan | Leave a comment

Classic Movie Travels: Dinah Shore

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: Dinah Shore

Frances “Fanny” Rose Shore was born on February 29, 1916, to Anna and Solomon Shore in Winchester, Tennessee. She had a sister, Elizabeth, who was eight years older. When Fanny was eighteen months old, she suffered from polio. After extensive care, an exercise program, and therapeutic massages, Fanny recovered but coped with a deformed foot and limp.

Fanny enjoyed singing from an early age. Anna, a contralto who dreamed of working in the opera, encouraged her to sing. Solomon often brought Fanny along to his store, where she performed for customers.

By 1924, the family relocated to McMinnville, Tennessee, where Solomon opened a department store. During Fanny’s fifth-grade year, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Fanny completed her elementary education. She participated in sports and was a cheerleader at Hume-Fogg High School. While attending Hume-Fogg High School, she also participated in music club and theatrical productions.

When Fanny turned 16, her mother passed away from a heart attack. Fanny continued her education at Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1938 with a sociology degree. She soon made her radio debut on WSM, a Nashville radio station.

Fanny decided to pursue her interest in singing and moved to New York City, where she auditioned for various orchestras and radio stations. Initially, she traveled there while she was on summer break from Vanderbilt. By the time she graduated, she intended to live in New York permanently. As part of her audition repertoire, she performed the song “Dinah.” When Martin Block, a disk jockey, could not recall her name, he instead introduced her as “The Dinah Girl.” They name soon became her stage name: Dinah Shore.

Shore was hired on as a vocalist for the WNEW radio station, singing alongside Frank Sinatra. In addition, she performed with the Xavier Cugat Orchestra and signed a recording contract with RCA Victor Records.

In 1939, Shore debuted on national radio for CBS Radio’s Ben Bernie’s Orchestra radio program. During the following year, she was a featured vocalist on NBC Radio, performing Dixieland and blues songs. The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street program on which she was performing became so popular that it was moved to a primetime slot.

Her popularity soon caught Eddie Cantor’s attention and he signed her as a regular performer on his Time to Smile radio program. In 1943, she appeared in her first film, Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), starring Cantor. Shore went on to the Paul Whiteman Presents radio program.

Shore married actor George Montgomery in 1943. They had a daughter named Melissa Montgomery in 1948, who became an actress. The couple adopted a son, John Montgomery. Shore and Montgomery divorced in 1962.

Shore transitioned to other radio shows and record labels throughout this period. Her largest commercial success of her recording career was “Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy” for Columbia. She also started her own radio show, Call for Music, for CBS and, later, NBC.

Shore appeared in additional films including Up in Arms (1944), Belle of the Yukon (1944), and Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). She also provided vocals for two Disney films: Make Mine Music (1946) and Fun and Fancy Free (1947). Her final starring film role was in Aaron Slik from Punkin Crick (1952).

In the 1950s, Shore returned to recording with RCA Victor. BY 1959, she transitioned to Capitol Records until she was dropped by them in 1962.

After numerous radio guest spots over the years, she made her commercial television show debut on The Ed Wynn Show in 1949. In 1951, she was the star of her own television show, The Dinah Shore Show. In 1956, she hosted one hour-long, full-color productions of The Chevy Show, which was renamed The Dinah Shore Chevy Show. Shore appeared in 125 hour-long programs across the show’s 12-season run from 1951 through 1963.

In 1963, Shore married tennis player Maurice F. Smith. They divorced the following year.

In the 1970s, Shore hosed two daytime programs: Dinah’s Place and Dinah! (renamed Dinah and Friends). During this period, Shore had a six-year romance with actor Burt Reynolds.

Off-screen, Shore enjoyed playing golf and supported women’s professional golf steadfastly. She helped found the Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Tournament in 1972, which is now the Chevron Championship and one of the major golf tournaments of the LPGA Tour. The tournament was held annually at the Mission Hills Country Club near Shore’s former Rancho Mirage, California, home until 2022. The event moved to Texas the following year because of a new sponsor. Nonetheless, Mission Hills retains the Dinah Shore Course, which now hosts the Galleri Classic tournament. Shore was posthumously elected an honorary member of the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1994 due to her contributions to golf and also became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.

In 1993, Shore was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away from the illness in her Beverly Hills, California, home on February 24, 1994. Her remains were cremated and divided among niches at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California, and Forest Lawn Cemetery—Cathedral City in Cathedral City, California. Additional ashes went to her relatives.

Today, there are numerous tributes to Shore, particularly in the Palm Springs area.

In 1920, Shore and her family resided at 8 9^th Ave., Winchester, Tennessee. In 1930, they lived at 3106 33^rd Ave. S., Nashville, Tennessee. These homes have since been razed.

Hume-Fogg High School stands at 700 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee.

Both Cathedral City, California, and Rancho Mirage, California, have streets named after her.

Shore’s hometown, Winchester, Tennessee, also has a Dinah Shore Boulevard.

In 1940, Shore lived at 111 Britton Ave., Queens, New York, which no longer stands.

In 1960, Shore lived at 400 Drury Ln., Beverly Hills, California. This home remains.

In 1964, Shore maintained an estate at 432 Hermosa Pl., Palm Springs, California, which stands.

In 1996, Shore received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

Shore has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring her work in radio, recording, and television. Her stars are located at 1751 Vine St., 6901 Hollywood Blvd., and 6916 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California, respectively.

Mission Hills Country Club is a private country club located at 34600 Mission Hills Dr., Rancho Mirage, California. The clubhouse has the Dinah Shore Board Room, spotlighting information about Shore’s life and career. On the course, the Dinah Shore Wall of Champions contains a tribute to Shore with a sculpted golf club protruding from a depiction of Shore. Additionally, there is a statue of Shore on the course, sculpted by George Montgomery.

dinah shore statue — Dinah Shore statue, sculpted by George Montgomery

Shore’s ashes are interred at Hillside Memorial Park, located at 6001 W. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, California. Her ashes are also interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery—Cathedral City, located at 69855 Ramon Rd., Cathedral City, California.

…

–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub

Annette Bochenek pens our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. You can read all of Annette’s Classic Movie Travel articles here.

Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is a PhD student at Dominican University and an independent scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the “Hometowns to Hollywood” film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot’s Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for Classic Movie Hub, she also writes for Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco SocietyMagazine.

Posted in Classic Movie Travels, Posts by Annette Bochenek | Tagged Dinah Shore | Leave a comment

Western RoundUp: Western Film Book Library – Part 9

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Laura Grieve

Western Film Book Library – Part 9

It’s time for another survey of books on Western movies!

This month’s column is prompted in large part by the publication of an important new book, The Cavalry Trilogy: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Making of Three Classic Westerns by Michael F. Blake.

Blake, the son of character actor Larry Blake, is himself a noted movie makeup artist and film historian whose earlier works include books on Lon Chaney and Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns. In this new book, a 292-page paperback from Rowman & Littlefield’s TwoDot Books, Blake brings together extensive new research on the making of Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950).

This engagingly written book features numerous photos I’d never seen before, along with an impressive three dozen pages of footnotes. Given that the second two films in the trilogy are among my all-time favorite movies and that I’ve visited their locations in Monument Valley and Moab, I found this “deep dive” into the making of the movies an extremely enjoyable and informative reading experience, filled with new-to-me stories.

Above, my photo of author Blake (center) with Patrick Wayne and Rob Word at a 75th anniversary screening of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon at the October 2024 Lone Pine Film Festival.

While I’m on the topic of Michael Blake, I have not yet read Code of Honor, but I recently realized it was in the film book collection I inherited when my father passed away last year. I look forward to reading it soon and expect great things, given my enjoyment of The Cavalry Trilogy.

Code of Honor is a 260-page paperback on the filming of High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), and The Searchers (1956). I can say it contains some remarkable photographs; my favorite is of John Qualen, Natalie Wood, and Olive Carey filming the final scene of The Searchers (1956). Code of Honor was published in 2003 by Taylor Trade Publishing.

Switching from books on “A” Westerns to the stars of “B” Westerns, I made a fantastic discovery in The Fabulous Holts by Buck Rainey. Rainey, who passed away in 2009, also wrote Shoot-Em-Ups, which I discussed here earlier this year, and Sweethearts of the Sage, which I discussed in a 2023 column. The Fabulous Holts covers the lives and films of Western actors Jack Holt and his children Tim and Jennifer.

I first learned of the Holt book from the back cover of another of Rainey’s books, and thanks to a kind friend’s assistance I found an affordable copy on eBay. It’s a 215-page book originally published in 1976 by Western Film Collector Press.

The book has relatively small print and is packed with information, including detailed biographies of the family and close looks at their films. The author personally interviewed both Jennifer and Tim; Tim passed away before the book’s publication, but his widow provided family photographs to the author. Other photos in the book were from Jennifer’s collection.

Along with the late David Rothel’s book Tim Holt, which I discussed here in my November 2019 column, The Fabulous Holts is an absolute “must” for fans of this acting family.

I’ve been interested in Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, on and off screen, since I met Dale as a child at the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Long Beach, California. Dale was signing her 1971 book Dale: My Personal Picture Album, and I was in awe, as I often watched afternoon TV reruns of The Roy Rogers Show; she was one of the first celebrities I ever met in person. Her book filled with stories and photos of her large family fascinated me, and I went on to read several other books by Dale.

Queen of the West: The Life and Times of Dale Evans, was written by Theresa Kaminski and published by Rowan & Littlefield’s Lyons Press imprint in 2022. I just picked it up in a sale this year and found it a very “readable” and insightful book. It’s extensively researched, with over 50 pages of footnotes, and also had the advantage of being fact-checked by Dale’s oldest stepdaughter, Cheryl Rogers Barnett.

This is a good place to also mention the very enjoyable memoirs written by Cheryl, Cowboy Princess: Life With My Parents, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and Cowboy Princess Rides Again.

Cowboy Princess by Cheryl Rogers-Barnett and Frank Thompson

Cowboy Princess Rides Again by Cheryl Rogers Barnett

I’ve been fortunate to meet Cheryl on multiple occasions at the Lone Pine Film Festival, where she’s a regular guest. Her books are charming stories of growing up in Hollywood as part of the large Rogers family; she’s also honest about some of the struggles she faced as a teen, loving yet clashing with her stepmother Dale. She continues to be a wonderful historian and ambassador for the Rogers family.

As I’ve mentioned here in the past, I’ve always had a particular interest in actress Julie Adams as I appeared on stage with her in a bit role in a theatrical production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the late ’70s. Adams got her start in movies appearing in low-budget Lippert Pictures Westerns, a couple of which I’ve written about in past columns. As her career developed she starred in numerous Universal Pictures Westerns, as well as appearing in TV Westerns such as Maverick, Cheyenne, and The Rifleman.

Adams published the charming memoir The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From the Black Lagoon in 2011. It was cowritten with her son Mitchell Danton, who was also the son of actor Ray Danton. It’s a marvelous book, with 263 heavy, glossy pages and dozens of photos from her personal collection.

Above, a montage of color posters for Adams’ films which are seen inside the cover, along with a set of photos from one of my all-time favorite Westerns, Bend of the River (1952). The book includes many fun anecdotes, including how she learned moviemaking while shooting several Lippert Westerns simultaneously!

For even more ideas on books on Western movies, please visit my lists from July 2019, November 2019, May 2020, January 2021, July 2021, August 2022, May 2023, and April 2024.

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– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Posted in Books, Posts by Laura Grieve, Western RoundUp | Tagged Buck Rainey, cheryl rogers barnett, Code of Honor, Cowboy Princess, Cowboy Princess Rides Again, Dale Evans, Julie Adams, Michael F Blake, Queen of the West, The Cavalry Trilogy, The Fabulous Holts, The Lucky Southern Star, Theresa Kaminski | 4 Comments

Silents Are Golden: The Growing Pains of (Very) Early Cinema

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Lea Stans

The Growing Pains of (Very) Early Cinema

It’s easy to assume that “moving pictures” burst onto the scene in the late 19th century all at once. We often imagine that pop culture history can be neatly sliced into “before cinema” and “after cinema,” positive that the traditional forms of stage entertainment swiftly became passe. The truth, of course, is always more complicated. In a 1940 interview, early filmmaker Edwin S. Porter recalled his uncertainty over whether cinema could retain a steady audience until he saw an exciting new film called A Trip to the Moon–which, as we know, was released all the way back in 1902!

Even determining what films count as the “earliest” can be tricky. Should we, for instance, count the pioneering methods of Eadweard Muybridge, who discovered how to photograph an animal’s precise movements one quick shot at a time? What about Étienne-Jules Marey’s similar experiments with his chronophotographic “gun,” which created strips of crisp images of moving animals and people?

one of Marey’s chronophotograph — One of Marey’s chronophotographs.

Along with the various optical illusion toys and magic lantern shows that were common at the time, these did indeed play a hand in the creation of motion pictures. However, it’s often agreed that the earliest “true” films were the ones shot on light-sensitive strips of material. Thus, French inventor Louis Le Prince may be the strongest contender for the creator of motion pictures as they’re known today. His stubby wooden box-like structure used strips of fragile paper film from the Eastman Kodak Company, and in Leeds, England, he shot some brief footage of family and friends clowning in a backyard. The surviving fragment, Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), is considered the oldest film in the world.

Once we settle on what counts as film, there’s the equally confusing question of credit. Who made the first motion picture camera? Who made the first projector? In the late 19th century patents for innumerable film-related inventions flew like confetti (indeed, patents for every type of invention were legion). During a span of just a few years inventors around the world–especially the U.S., U.K., France and Germany–were feverishly working on cameras, projectors and other movie making accessories, practically stumbling over each other in the rush to corner the market.

Auguste and Louis Lumière, Thomas Edison, William K.-L. Dickson, Grey and Otway Latham, and Max and Emil Skladanowsky are just a few prominent names among these pioneering inventors–and were certainly well aware of each other’s work. Dickson even secretly went behind his boss Edison’s back to help the Latham brothers design their “Latham loop,” a slack loop of film in the motion picture camera that reduces tension on the filmstrip. The Lumière brothers’ first public screening of their projected films in Paris on December 28, 1895, is justly famous, but they were technically beaten to the punch by the Skladanowsky brothers in Germany, who held their first screening in November 1895. They in turn were beaten by the Latham brothers, who exhibited in May.

Can we say, then, that these 1895 screenings opened the floodgate of interest in the brand-new technology of motion pictures? We can, and we might also say that as 1896 was the year that films really took off. The films themselves were simple, of course–very brief and simply capturing dancers dancing, or boxers sparring, or footage of a busy city street. But audiences marveled at how the camera could capture details like smoke rising from a pipe, or leaves waving in the wind–details which couldn’t be captured by still photography. For a time, the sheer novelty of the film itself was exciting enough for amazed audiences around the world.

Illustration of a Vitascope picture show.

But behind the scenes, all wasn’t smooth sailing. Competitions over the various patents only grew more fierce. Edison in particular managed to seize control of many of the motion picture camera components and his company frequently started lawsuits with competitors. In the meantime filmmakers themselves were constantly “borrowing” from each other–if one film grew popular then other studios often made their own, identical versions.

Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show (1902), a copy of The Countryman and the Cinematograph (1901) — *Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show* (1902),
a copy of *The Countryman and the Cinematograph* (1901).

By the early 1900s, films were not only familiar to the general public (thanks mainly to traveling shows and “theaters” set up in rented buildings), but they were so familiar that, strange as it sounds today, the novelty was finally wearing off. The rented “storefront theaters” were having a harder time sustaining business, the films that were formerly a prominent part of vaudeville programs were relegated to being “chasers” (stuck at the very end of the program), and audiences were growing tired of seeing the same types of subjects over and over again. Vaudeville and “legitimate” theater still dominated, and the nickelodeon wouldn’t start popping up until 1905.

But if there was one film that helped breathe a bit of fresh inspiration into the competitive industry, it was George Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902). Running around 15 minutes long, it was one of the lengthier early silents. With its whimsical story of astronomers who travel to the winking, blinking moon and its fantastical hand-colored imagery, it was a treat for both the eyes and the imagination. When the film quickly became a hit around the world, many filmmakers began to realize that story-centric films were the way forward.

By the end of the 1900s, it was clear that motion pictures would not just be a passing fad or a novelty. A fresh new kind of storytelling had emerged, with its own particular language that was evolving every week. There were still years of innovations to come, but fortunately for us, early cinema had largely overcome its growing pains.

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–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.