Classic Conversations: Eddie Muller and Dave Karger Preview the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Danny Miller

As a huge classic movie fan, I find myself counting the days until the TCM Classic Film Festival that takes place in Hollywood every spring — for us fans it’s like the movie version of Woodstock. I’ve attended every festival since it began in 2010, and have gotten the chance to hear from so many of the greats, including people like Angela Lansbury Kirk Douglas, Jane Powell, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Maureen O’Hara, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Tony Curtis, Pam Grier, Faye Dunaway, Kim Novak, Mel Brooks, Barbara Rush, Luise Rainer, Dustin Hoffman, Sophia Loren, Mickey Rooney, Nancy Kwan, Betty Garrett, Esther Williams, Warren Beatty, Tippi Hedren, Burt Reynolds, Leslie Caron and so many others including directors Stanley Donen, Martin Scorsese, and William Friedkin. That list is just off the top of my head, I’m sure I’m leaving out dozens of my favorites who have attended the festival, many of them no longer with us. Fans come from all over the world to attend this spectacular event which this year begins on Thursday, April 13th, with the world premiere restoration of Howard Hawks’ 1959 film Rio Bravo.  One of the film’s stars, Angie Dickinson, will be in attendance at the gala opening at the world-famous Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard along with Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson who will be talking about the important work of the Film Foundation that saves so many of these classic movies.

Eddie Muller & Dave Karger

There will be over 80 films and presentations at this year’s festival which lasts until Sunday, many of them running concurrently at several different theaters in Hollywood so festivalgoers are forced to make many difficult choices over the course of the four days. In preparation for Thursday’s opening, I had a great time talking to two of my favorite TCM hosts this week, the “Czar of Noir,” Eddie Muller, and Dave Karger, about what they’re most looking forward to. 

Danny Miller: It’s kind of ridiculous how much I look forward to the festival all year long. I’m part of a Facebook group related to the fest and we talk about it for months beforehand, as soon as the first little bits of info are released. As longtime TCM hosts, do you get a say in the program? Do you share your wish lists with Charlie Tabesh and the other people planning the festival?

Eddie Muller: Putting this festival together is very tricky because you have to take so many different factors into account. Producing my own Noir City festival around the country, I know how difficult it is to balance everything. But yes, I make suggestions to Charlie all year long and then we see if they fit the theme or need to be saved for later. Over the years, Charlie has been very accommodating to my suggestions!

Dave Karger: Charlie and the people on the programming team are the real geniuses of the festival. My favorite part comes after the lineup is settled. They invite us to let them know who we would love to interview and which films we want to introduce. It’s so fun to see the schedule take shape and figure out who I’m going to talk to — and I have some really exciting people that I get to interview this year!

Who’s on your docket?

Well, you know I’m a big musical guy, I absolutely love musicals, so you can imagine how thrilled I am that I’m going to be interviewing Ann-Margret on Saturday at the Bye Bye Birdie screening. 

Ooh, lucky! But don’t remind me of the nightmare choice we all have to make during that time slot because it’s at the same time as Crossing Delancey, which I also love, being introduced by Amy Irving and Peter Riegert. 

Oh, I know, these choices are so difficult! I’m also going to talk to Shirley Jones after The Music Man.

Wow, classic movie musical royalty!

And there’s going to be a little bit of a surprise during that interview, but I can’t tell you what it is. 

Oh my — I’m imagining Ron Howard coming out and singing “The Wells Fargo Wagon” with his big sister, Shirley Jones?

Haha, I can neither confirm nor deny! Also, I’m really excited that I get to interview Frankie Avalon before the poolside 60th anniversary screening of Beach Party on Friday night. As someone who was five years old when Grease came out, I am beyond thrilled, and I feel like Didi Conn about to talk to Teen Angel during “Beauty School Dropout.” It kind of blows my mind, I’m going to try very hard not to dork out with Frankie!

What films are you looking forward to introducing, Eddie?

Well, of course I’m introducing a couple of great noir films such as The Killers and Sorry, Wrong Number, and I love those movies, but I also love getting out of my usual niche at the festival, it’s such a fun opportunity to do that. I’m very excited about introducing a 70mm print of Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch and a restored 75th anniversary version of Powell & Pressburger’s gorgeous The Red Shoes. 

Oh, fun. I look forward to having the spectacular Technicolor of The Red Shoes hurt my eyes, I love that movie. 

And I’m very happy to be presenting Joan Micklin Silver’s Crossing Delancey and to talk to Amy Irving and Peter Riegert, who don’t do this kind of thing very much.

Ann-Margret in Bye Bye Birdie, Amy Irving, and Peter Riegert in Crossing Delancey

Oh God, that choice again! I worship both Bye Bye Birdie and Crossing Delancey and I think because I’ve already seen Ann-Margret talk about the former at an Academy screening, I’ll have to head to Delancey. Sorry, Dave!

Dave Karger: Don’t worry, I understand! Some of these choices are impossible!

Eddie Muller: I’m really looking forward to talking to Amy and Peter. It’s a little weird because I just happen to be very good friends with Peter Riegert’s wife so I’ve met him but have never talked about this film with him. 

I always tell everyone, “Marry the Pickle Man!” I was hoping that they’d show a double feature of Crossing Delancey and Joan Micklin Silver’s other fantastic movie about American Jews, Hester Street.

Now you’re thinking like a programmer! That would be a great double bill.

Oh, you should hear our constant debates about which films should be shown. As you know, classic movie fans never lack for strong opinions!

Haha, yes, I know! 

Like the other day on Doris Day’s birthday, I started obsessing on her very hard-hitting film with Ginger Rogers about the KKK called Storm Warning and wishing they’d show that at the fest.

Fantastic movie. I’m showing it later this year on Noir Alley on TCM with a new intro, but it’s also screening on the network this month because of the Warner Bros. centennial which we’re also celebrating at the festival. It’s one of the great Warner Bros. films that has been restored by the Film Foundation. And Doris is so wonderful in it. I’ve read some criticism by people saying that she and Ginger Rogers are not believable as sisters, but I could not disagree more. Do you know a little piece of Doris Day trivia concerning that film?

No, what?

Of all her movies, it’s the only one in which she dies.

Spoiler alert! So interesting, even though she’s come close in a bunch of other movies. I’ll definitely be there on Sunday morning to watch her being terrorized in Hitchcock’s brilliant The Man Who Knew Too Much at the Chinese. I know it’s an impossible question, but do either of you have a dream interview, alive or dead, that you wish you could do at the festival?

Dave Karger: That is a tough one! The first thing that comes to mind is how sad I am that I never got to meet Cary Grant or Randolph Scott, they’re two of my absolute favorites. Of the living, I would love to talk to Harrison Ford even though I know he can be a challenging interview. I hope to talk to him at the festival some day and show some of his lesser-known films such as The Conversation or The Mosquito Coast or maybe even Witness — something that is not part of a big franchise. And then, because I’m such a 1980s person, I’d love to have Molly Ringwald at the festival as we expand the scope of what is considered classic. As you’ve noticed, we have some films from the 80s and 90s this year, and even a film from after 2000, A Mighty Wind. I think there’s definitely room for someone like Molly at the festival. 

I totally agree, the crowd would love it. I love the idea of showing The Mosquito Coast and you could also bring in Martha Plimpton who is so interesting talking about her career as a young actress. 

 Oh my God, that would be fantastic!

Barbara Stanwyck

Eddie Muller: My absolute dream, which is obviously impossible since she is no longer around, would be to do a full-on in-person tribute to Barbara Stanwyck, in my view the greatest actress in motion picture history. Wouldn’t it be something to do a retrospective of her films, from the pre-Codes of the early 1930s all the way up to the end, and have her there the whole time talking about her movies?

Oh lord, I’d get in line a year in advance. My 13-year-old son’s bedroom is lined with pictures of Stanwyck, she’s a favorite in my house, and she really helped to get us through the pandemic. 

It sounds like you’re doing good work as a parent!

Have you noticed any shifts in the demographics of the festival over the years? I’m always excited to see younger people there, as obsessed about the classic movies as we are. 

I have. I’m surprised and delighted to see how the festival draws an increasingly younger audience each year. I’m also very happy about the strength of the African American audience that attends. I’ve gotten to know many of these diehard fans who come from all over the country. That audience has only grown since I started doing the festival and the TCM cruises. 

Dave Karger: I love seeing people of all ages. One thing I have really liked that they’ve done lately is invite local students to come including from USC and other local universities. That’s exciting to me because it will keep classic film alive way longer than we’re going to be around. 

Yes, totally. That made me remember a festival screening of Children of a Lesser God a few years ago that Marlee Matlin invited a lot of young deaf students to attend. They loved the film and I really believe their interaction with Marlee may have changed some lives — I can see some of those kids deciding to go into the arts after that inspiring screening and discussion.

Absolutely. And how wonderful if we can be a tiny part of something like that. I’ve interviewed Marlee Matlin before and it was a total joy. 

Robert Osborne at the TCM Classic Film Festival

I think you two and all the current hosts do such a great job on the network and at the festival, but of course the memory of the great Robert Osborne still looms large. Did your time at TCM overlap with his?

I actually met Robert for the first time in 2007 when I was working at Entertainment Weekly. I was invited to go down to Atlanta and co-host with Robert as part of the 31 Days of Oscar. We spent the whole day together and really hit it off, I really connected with him. What ended up happening was that when he was still alive, but too Ill to film his segments, he actually gave the blessing for me to fill in for him. I have him to thank for my role at TCM.

Eddie Muller: I definitely credit Robert with getting my gig at TCM. Did you know that before TCM started he used to run his own film festival? He invited me to come introduce some movies there, I remember talking with him at a screening of Double Indemnity and it was like getting an audience with the Pope! It was a wonderful experience and the cherry on top was that the person who was supposed to introduce Robert’s favorite movie, All About Eve, which we’re also showing this year, didn’t show up and he asked me if I wanted to do it with him. I don’t know that movie nearly as well as he does, but boy, did I get an education including on how to deal with people so beautifully in a public situation. Robert was so kind to me, we got along famously. And, I have to point out, and I don’t mean to be weird about this, but the day that I began my regular Noir Alley gig on TCM, March 6, 2017, was that day that Robert died. 

Oh wow, that’s so meaningful, I’m sure he was looking down on you. 

He was just a wonderful guy. Even though I had already been doing my own festivals and screenings for seven or eight years before I met Robert, I learned more in 10 minutes on stage with him than I did in all that time. Just watching him and understanding how he handled a microphone, how he sat on the stage, how he would bring another person into a conversation — that was the best education I could ever get. He always said that the point was not to try to impress upon people how much you know about movies, and he knew plenty, the point was to make people feel good about being there to watch a movie together.

The TCM Classic Film Festival takes place in Hollywood from Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16. Click here to see the schedule of this year’s films and events.

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–Danny Miller for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Danny’s Classic Conversation Articles Here

Danny Miller is a freelance writer, book editor, and co-author of  About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars. You can read more of Danny’s articles at Cinephiled, or you can follow him on Twitter at @dannymmiller. 

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Classic Movie Travels: Mickey Daniels

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: Mickey Daniels

Richard Michael “Mickey” Daniels
Richard Michael “Mickey” Daniels

Richard Michael “Mickey” Daniels was born on October 11, 1914, in Reliance, Wyoming, to Richard and Hannah Reese Daniels. Per his draft card, his birthplace is listed as Reliance. He was one of eleven children in the family, with siblings Ruth, Clifford, Adele, Leonard, Louise, Elsie, Margaret, Sarah, Melvin, and Edgar. His father was of Welsh descent and had a background as a miner.

Daniels grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he was spotted at the Rialto Theatre during an amateur variety show. Gene Kornman, photographer and father of Our Gang player Mary Kornman, was a friend of the Daniels family and recommended freckled, red-haired Daniels as a possible addition to the cast.

A young Mickey Daniels
A young Mickey Daniels

Daniels was soon signed to the Our Gang series as one of the lead children, appearing in the shorts from 1922 through 1926. Daniels’s distinct laugh was featured in numerous Our Gang shorts and was also captured as a stock sound used throughout various other Hal Roach productions, namely dubbed in as an animal’s guffaw. He could also be spotted in various other Hal Roach films, even appearing alongside Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! (1923) and Girl Shy (1924). His father also appeared in several Our Gang shorts with him, in addition to Roach’s Girl Shy. His brother, Leonard worked for Roach in the studio’s transportation department.

When his time at Our Gang came to a close, he performed in vaudeville and also in a wide range of bit parts in feature films. In 1930, Daniels transitioned to The Boy Friends, produced by Roach featuring a cast of teenagers. The series of short subjects ended in 1932. He also carried out minor roles in It Happened One Night (1934); Magnificent Obsession (1935); and The Great Ziegfeld (1946), among other film roles. In 1932, his name appeared in several newspapers noting an engagement to Dorothy Mattice, which was called off.

Mary Kornman and Mickey Daneils in Air-Tight (1931)
Mary Kornman and Mickey Daneils in Air-Tight (1931)

By the 1950s, Daniels was no longer working in the film industry. His draft card states that his employer was “Louis Meyer, Inc.,” but this was crossed out to read “Kaiser Shipyards.” He worked in construction engineering. The card cites him as having a scar on his upper-left lip and also notes that he had a wife named Esther; additional sources point to him having a daughter named Diane.

After struggling to get roles, Daniels became disenchanted with Hollywood and depressed. He drank heavily during this period and gambled, while spending time living with his brother. He also took on several construction jobs overseas, participating in construction projects in Europe, Pearl Harbor, and Africa. His niece, Marlene Fund, remembered him as a fun uncle. She also recalled him partying and carousing at night, with him often getting kicked out of the house, as a result. In the mid-1960s he was traced in Tasmania working as a materials supervisor at an iron ore mine for the Bechtel Pacific Group under the name of Mike Daniels. By that time, he was divorced and his ex-wife, daughter, and grandson were all living in Los Angeles.

Beyond this point, Daniels was quite difficult to track. His childhood co-stars could not locate information about him for the documentary Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984), being unable to confirm a rumor that he had passed away overseas. Tragically, 21 years after his passing, details about his final years came to light. He returned to the states and lived in a San Diego, California, motel, working as a taxi driver for Red Top Taxi Cabs during his final three years. He passed away alone in the motel on August 20, 1970, from cirrhosis. His cremated remains went unclaimed during those 21 years until they were recovered and buried near his parents’ graves at Forest Lawn Memorial Park—Glendale in Glendale, California, in an unmarked grave. Film fan Bob Satterfield raised money for a headstone in honor of Daniels, which was unveiled and dedicated on September 27, 2019.

Few tributes to Daniels exist today. The Rialto Theatre, where he was discovered, stood at 314S. Front St., Rock Springs, Wyoming. It has since been razed.

In the 1920s, the Daniels family resided at Ahsay Ave. in Rock Springs, Wyoming. This home has since been razed, though Ahsay Ave. remains. By 1930, the Daniels family relocated to 3911 ½ S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, California. At this point, Daniels was already an actor. The home would remain in the family for years to come, as Daniels’ wife, Esther, is cited as living at this address in 1940. The home still stands today.

3911 ½ S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, California

In 1940, Daniels was residing at 1213 N. Ainsworth Ave., Portland, Oregon, while he was working at the Kaiser Shipyards. This home also remains.

1213 N. Ainsworth Ave., Portland, Oregon

In 1950, he lived at 308 S. Holt St., Los Angeles, California, which no longer stands.

The most poignant tribute to him is the marker at his final resting place, thanks to funds contributed to the fans that enjoyed his on-screen performances.

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–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.

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Monsters and Matinees: A trio of films bring to life Richard Matheson’s ‘I Am Legend’

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Toni Ruberto

A trio of films bring to life Richard Matheson’s ‘I Am Legend’

The idea of the last man or woman on earth spurs my imagination.

How will it happen? When will it happen? Why will it happen?

“Germs. Bacteria. Viruses. Vampires.”

That’s author Richard Matheson’s excellent answer to the “why” in I Am Legend, his post-apocalyptic novella set in a world decimated by a mysterious virus. The already intriguing subject is made even better with Matheson’s addition of my favorite creature – the vampire.

Since it was published nearly 70 years ago, his novella has been the source material for three films: The Last Man on Earth (filmed in Rome in 1964 as L’ultimo uomo della Terra) starring Vincent Price, The Omega Man (1971) with Charlton Heston, and I Am Legend (2007) starring Will Smith. (Yes, that’s a much newer film than we write about in Monsters and Matinees, but it’s important to include here.)

Vincent Price arms himself with tools to destroy the plague vampires in The Last Man on Earth.

Matheson wrote I Am Legend in 1954 and set it in January of 1976, five months into a mysterious illness.

Robert Neville is a 36-year-old researcher who has immunity to whatever is causing a pandemic that has wiped out the world, turning the few survivors into vampires.

Through Robert’s first-person account we learn about the “before days” and his happy life with his wife and young daughter, the early signs of a disease spreading wildly overseas and worries of whether it can get to the United States. A newspaper headline asks “Is Europe’s disease carried on the wind?” Yes, it is.

The story – and movies – will jump between those terrifying early days as frightened people succumb to the disease and Robert’s current life battling the nightly vampire attacks and his own demons.

Vampire/zombies, including an old friend, taunt Robert (played by Vincent Price) nightly despite the crosses, garlic and mirrors he puts on doors at his home in The Last Man on Earth.

He turns his home into a mini fortress with slats over windows and garlic and mirrors at the doors to ward off the vampires. One room “belongs to his stomach,” filled with canned goods and the like. By day, he hunts the creatures while loading up on gas and supplies. He harvests garlic from his hothouse, creating an overwhelming and sickening stench. At night, Robert eats, drinks heavily and plays his records to drown out the taunting cries from the undead.

He reads Dracula and muses philosophically about vampires (during the early days, there were reports of vampires that many, including Robert, scoffed at believing) and continues to valiantly search for a cure. And he inexorably talks about the passage of time, watching the minutes slowly pass by.

It’s surprisingly sad to watch.

“A man could get used to anything if he had to,” Robert says, but who is he kidding? Not us.

Of course he hopes to find other survivors, but, like most post-apocalyptic thrillers with a last-person/people-on-earth theme, it’s not all good when he finds them.

In The Omega Man, Charlton Heston battles the mutant humans while nattily dressed in a green velvet jacket and ruffled shirt.

The movies

That’s the basic plot of the story that’s followed at least loosely in the films: Something wipes out most of humanity leaving the few survivors as vampires/killers/mutants except for one man who has immunity and fights for his survival and a cure. If that intrigues you, I highly recommend the movies even knowing that Matheson wasn’t particularly happy with them because, well to be honest, I really get into them.

Will Smith and the family dog sleep in a bathtub while the “Darkseekers” scream outside.

You don’t need to watch them in any order; pick your favorite actor of the three if you like and start watching.

Each film is set in the time it was made (The Omega Man is very much a film of the ‘70s in style and music) and has a different explanation on what caused the virus (bacterial plague, biological warfare etc.).

Three years into a plague, Woodstock remains the only movie
Robert (Charlton Heston) can watch in The Omega Man.

The three versions of Robert are similar in that they are intelligent men with backgrounds in research, science and the military which provide them the unique skill sets to survive. Otherwise the actors give him a different personality: Price brings a weariness and pitifulness to his character (renamed Robert Morgan); Heston has a sexy confidence and swagger (it’s amusing how often his shirt is off); Smith is steadfast and loyal.

Rosalind Cash

Outside of Robert, the casting is minimal.

Only The Omega Man is notable with Anthony Zerbe as the creepy mutant leader; Rosalind Cash as a tough survivor whose appearance gives the film an interracial romance that I only note because it was so rare at the time; and a young Eric Laneuville as her little brother.

The infected are portrayed in different manners and gain strength, speed and aggression with each film.  

Director George A. Romero was reportedly inspired by the zombie-like undead in The Last Man on Earthfor his influential zombie film Night of the Living Dead.

In The Omega Man, they seem human, but the virus has given them albino characteristics of white hair and skin – marked by red burns from the sun – which are a contrast to their dark clothing and hooded capes. They also possess a violent mob-like mentality and are a cult – a “family” – that destroys culture (books, art) from the evil “before time” that they blame on Earth’s current state. If you aren’t a family member, like Robert, you will be hunted and killed.

Anthony Zerbe, left, plays the violent leader of mutants who were left sensitive to light and with albino qualities in The Omega Man.

By I Am Legend, they are very much a monster. Lightning fast and extremely violent, they have a fiendish appearance – fake fiend, that is.

These computer-generated images look like they were created by a computer and that’s never good. They’re only scary because of the high-pitched demonic screams created by Mike Patton, former lead singer of the metal band Faith No More.

In interviews about the film, Patton said he spent “four straight hours of screaming my head off” while improvising in front of a movie screen. He works; the CGI doesn’t. What makes it worse is that the filmmakers switched to using CGI for the creatures early in the filming because they didn’t think actors worked.

Watching these three film versions of Robert battle demons – an undead wife at the door, a mob building a two-story bonfire to draw him out to his death or the hounds of hell waiting to pounce when the sun goes down – are a few examples of the horror in his world.

A stray dog brings companionship and joy to Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth.

But there’s another type of horror Matheson is writing about that is profoundly human. Robert Neville is a man alone and consumed by a terrible loneliness that is its own horror. That loneliness leads to the loss of a person’s humanity and a craving for contact even with a dog (an important character in the book and movies) or an inanimate object like a statue or mannequin. They are all used to great dramatic and emotional effect as surrogate companions or possible enemies. (Is that a mannequin or a person?).

Watch Price’s reaction to a stray dog, Heston get dressed up for Sunday dinner and conversation with a bust of Caesar and Smith carry on one-sided conversations with mannequins, pleading with one to simply “say hello to me.” Don’t be surprised if it gets to you – it’s supposed to. Ultimately, I Am Legend in all of its forms is about humanity.

Mannequins are a safe distraction for our hero in The Omega Man – until one of them moves.

A ‘Legend’ sequel

What happens when your alternate ending to a film is nearly perfect, yet you don’t use it?

You base a sequel off it nearly 20 years later.

I Am Legend writer and producer Akiva Goldsman recently announced that a sequel to his 2007 film is in development with Will Smith reprising his role and Michael B. Jordan joining the cast.

Will Smith comes face-to-face with a leader of the “Darkseekers” in a scene from the superior alternative ending for I Am Legend.

Though the film made near $600 million worldwide, it was criticized for straying from Richard Matheson’s 1954 novella especially with its cheesy epic Hollywood ending that goes big and dumb. (OK, those are my words.)

Without spoilers, the Smith character has been experimenting on “Darkseekers” to find a cure. When his laboratory is attacked, a kid could figure out the connection between the Alpha female Smith has captured and the angry Alpha male. What happens next is ridiculous, but it sounds like that will be amended with the new film.

Goldsman told Deadline that the sequel will work off of that alternate ending and be set about 20 years later. (Think the structure of HBO’s The Last of Us, which Goldsman says he is “obsessed with.”)

“We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film,” Goldsman said in the interview. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”

If the film is how Goldsman describes it, this is one sequel I am looking forward to seeing.

Vincent Price battles vampires created by a plague in The Last Man on Earth.

– 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 of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and now leads 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.

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Film Noir Review: Manhandled (1949)

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Danilo Castro

“I’ve never known a congenital wise-guy
yet that didn’t outsmart himself.”

Sterling Hayden never quite fit. Primed for stardom at the height of the studio system, he was dubbed “The Beautiful Blond Viking God” by Paramount Pictures and dropped into star-studded dramas like Virginia and Bahama Passage (both 1941). The sales pitch didn’t stick. It was audiences that were reluctant to embrace the “Viking God,” mind you, it was Hayden himself. He felt like a phony, and decided to reestablish his personal standard of authenticity by fighting in World War II.

Hayden was gone for a whopping six years, and when he returned to the states, he had a fresh outlook on Hollywood. “I feel a real obligation to make this a better country,” he told the press. “And I believe the movies are the place to do it.” Hayden made good on his word. During the 1950s, he starred in a series of noir films that rank among the most acclaimed and influential of all time: The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Crime Wave (1954), and The Killing (1956), just to name a few. These films were narrative and stylistic triumphs, but more importantly, they allowed Hayden to craft a screen persona that was authentically him: contemplative, craggy, and deceptively cunning. The “Viking God” was a mortal the whole time. Albeit, a very intimidating one.

The film’s original poster.

The transition from matinee idol to genre icon didn’t happen overnight. Hayden had some years in the wilderness, where he struggled to make sense of what kind of actor he should be, which is what makes 1949’s Manhandled such an interesting watch. It was only his third film back from military service, and it perfectly straddles the line between the actor he was and the actor he would become.

Hayden is actually third-billed in Manhandled, behind Dan Duryea and Dorothy Lamour. The latter two were at the height of their office appeal, and they dominate the first act of the film accordingly. Merl Kramer (Lamour) is a psychiatrist’s secretary who overhears a patient discussing uxoricide. She finds it interesting enough to mention to her boyfriend, private detective Karl Benson (Duryea), not realizing that Karl is desperate enough to do something about it. Karl bumps off the patient’s wife and steals her jewels under the assumption that he can frame the patient. If that doesn’t work, he can pawn the whole thing off on Merl.

Duryea’s character schemes his way into a jewelry heist.

It’s a novel premise that quickly gets confusing to follow. It’s unclear who actually committed the murder for most of the film’s runtime, even though we know Karl is hiding the jewels. There’s also the discovery that Merl faked her credentials to get the secretary job, which momentarily casts doubt on her motives, but is quickly walked back when it’s revealed that Karl faked the credentials and sold her on the idea of them being legitimate.

Enter Joe Cooper (Hayden). He arrives at the scene of the murder before the police, but he’s still changing out of his pajamas. He’s technically an insurance investigator, tasked with recovering the stolen jewelry, but he works the crime scene with such conviction that he elbows the police out of the way. Lt. Dawson (Art Smith), the man in charge, has to tell Cooper to take it down. It’s a wonderful introduction for the character, instantly setting him up as a hero who’s thorough without being stiff.

Lt Cooper (right) casts a suspicious eye on Karl.

Hayden is much looser than he would go on to be in aforementioned classics like Crime Wave and The Killing. In those films, he projects disdain to such a degree that it’s hard to imagine either character ever being happy. The cop he plays in Crime Wave is trying to quit smoking, and the tightly-wound energy is palpable as he leans on ex-cons for information. In Manhandled, however, the actor is amused by the happenings around him, and takes the opportunity to flaunt his detecting skills in front of his policeman peers. It’s fun to watch because he seems to be having fun.

Eventually, Cooper and Dawson team up, resulting in a broad yet effective scene in which the two men agree to take a pharmaceutical mixture of downers. They’ve determined that the alibi provided to them by the patient may have been falsified thanks to some medication, so they test the concoction for themselves. The only problem is, Cooper took the right combination and Dawson took the wrong one, which means the latter struggles desperately to stay awake while they pursue a lead. This sort of comedy can go awry in a film noir, but the chemistry between the actors and the application of it within the larger story makes it work surprisingly well.

Hayden is the film’s stylish moral center.

Manhandled is no lost classic, as it loses steam towards the backend, but it does provide ample room for its three stars to shine. Duryea does sleazy better than pretty much anybody, and Lamour, while mostly foreign to the film noir landscape, does a fine job of playing a hard-bitten victim. Still, it’s Hayden that steals the show here. He’s bursting with energy in each scene, most of which open with him haphazardly changing out of his pajamas. 

He proves that he still has some romantic chops during the nightclub sequence with Lamour’s character, and he manages to rile Duryea’s crooked detective despite only crossing paths with him a few times. The film is a fun watch in isolation, but it plays even better as a preamble to the legendary run that Hayden would start the following year. 

TRIVIA: In her autobiography, Dorothy Lamour, recalls working with the actor who played the insurance investigator. She mistakenly refers to the actor as George Reeves, when it was in fact, Sterling Hayden.

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You can find all of Danilo’s Film Noir Review articles here.

Danilo Castro is the managing editor of NOIR CITY Magazine and a Contributing Writer for Classic Movie Hub. You can follow Danilo on Twitter @DaniloSCastro.

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Classic Movie Music: The Nicholas Brothers – Dance Pioneers

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Frank Pozen

The Nicholas Brothers – Dance Pioneers

Most classic movie fans have seen The Nicholas Brothers’ showstopping performance in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. But other than that I am sure most film fans don’t know much about them. Since today is Harold Nicholas’ birthday, I thought this would be a good time to write about them.

Fayard Nicholas was born March 17, 1914 in Mobile, AL, and Harold Nicholas was born March 27, 1921 in Winston-Salem, NC. They grew up in Philadelphia. Their father, Ulysses Nicholas, was a drummer, and their mother, Viola Harden, played piano. They led a band at the Standard Theater in Philadelphia. Fayard watched them from the front row as a child and he saw all the black vaudeville acts. He was fascinated by dancers like the legendary Bill Robinson. So he imitated them.

Fayard taught himself by watching the stage performers and then imitating them. First he taught his sister Dorothy, and they performed as the Nicholas Kids. Then Harold joined the act. Dorothy dropped out and the Nicholas Brothers were born. Harold usually imitated Fayard. Their tap dancing style is called “flash dance” popularized by The Four Step Brothers and The Berry Brothers. I’m sure Fayard saw them perform.

As their fame grew, the Nicholas Brothers became the featured act at New York’s Cotton Club. Fayard was 16 and Harold was 11. While at the Cotton Club for two years, they appeared with bands led by Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Jimmy Lunceford. They appeared in the 1932 short film, Pie Pie Blackbird, featuring Eubie Blake. When producer Samuel Goldwyn saw the Nicholas Brothers at the Cotton Club, he brought them to Hollywood to appear in the 1934 film Kid Millions. They appeared in the Broadway musicals The Ziegfield Follies of 1936 and the 1937 musical Babes in Arms. Famed ballet choreographer George Balanchine was so impressed that he taught them some new techniques.

The Nicholas Brothers moved to Hollywood in 1940. Their most high-profile performance was performing Jumpin’ Jive with Cab Calloway and his Orchestra in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. Other films include Down Argentine Way (1940), Tin Pan Alley (1940), The Great American Broadcast (1941), Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942). The Nicholas Brothers never starred in a film. They were featured performers and their segments were removed so the films could be shown in the Southern US where there were still Jim Crow laws. But there’s no question The Nicholas Brothers were the highlight of any film they were in.

After dancing with Gene Kelly in the 1948 film The Pirate, Harold moved to France. So they didn’t perform together anymore. They were forgotten until they appeared in the 1974 film That’s Entertainment. And there was interest in them after that. They received Kennedy Center Honors in 1991. Harold Nicholas died on July 3, 2000 in 2000 and Fayard Nicholas died on Jan. 24, 2006 at age 91. Here’s Cab Calloway and his Orchestra with The Nicholas Brothers performing Jumpin’ Jive from the 1943 film Stormy Weather.

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— Frank Pozen for Classic Movie Hub

Frank Pozen pens our monthly Classic Movie Movies column. You can read all of Frank’s Classic Movie Music articles here.

Frank Pozen writes about music, wrestling and more at his blog, Frank Pozen’s Big Bad Blog, including his AccuRadio Song of the Day post. You can follow Frank at twitter @frankp316.

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Classic Movie Travels: George “Spanky McFarland”

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: George “Spanky McFarland”

George "Spanky" McFarland
George “Spanky” McFarland

George “Spanky” McFarland portrayed the iconic leader of the Our Gang cast of children, beloved for his role as Spanky. He was born George Philips McFarland at Methodist Hospital on October 2, 1928, in Dallas, Texas, to Robert and Virginia McFarland. His father worked as a manager for a loan company and, later, automobile broker. He had three siblings: Tommy, Amanda, and Roderick or “Rod.”

Initially, McFarland was dubbed “Sonny” by his parents and modeled children’s clothes in department stores throughout the Dallas area. He could also be spotted in print ads and highway billboards to promote Wonder Bread. By 1930, McFarland was comfortable and recognizable before the camera.

George "Spanky" McFarland as a baby
McFarland as a baby

In 1931, Hal Roach Studios printed a trade magazine ad calling for photograph submissions of “cute kids.” In response to the ad, McFarland’s aunt sent over various pictures from McFarland’s modeling days. As a result, he was invited to partake in a screen test, which opened the door to a career as an actor. In fact, parts of his initial screen test were worked into the Our Gang short “Spanky” (1932). In later interviews McFarland shared that the nickname was given to him by a reporter. Per his studio contract, McFarland was given permission to use the “Spanky” name in all subsequent business and personal activities.

McFarland became a core member of the Our Gang cast at age three. Though extremely young, he was adorable before cameras, laughing and babbling his way through his earliest scenes. His character grew more outspoken as the series continued, eventually making him the ringleader of the group. As a contract player at Hal Roach Studios, he mingled with many other studio stars, including the likes of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Laurel taught him how to perform double-takes and many of his mannerisms were further inspired by Hardy.

Though McFarland appeared in numerous shorts, his only starring film role was in General Spanky (1936), produced by Hal Roach. While the film attempted to transition the Our Gang series into feature films, it was unsuccessful. Nonetheless, McFarland appeared in many other films beyond Hal Roach Studios. His younger brother, Tommy, could also be spotted in some of the shorts.

George "Spanky" McFarland in Good Bad Boys (1940)
Spanky in Good Bad Boys (1940)

In 1938, McFarland retired from Our Gang and participated in several personal appearances. The Our Gang unit was sold by Roach to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, rehiring McFarland to reprise his role. McFarland returned to Our Gang and carried out his Spanky character until his last appearance in the series in 1942, at fourteen years old. McFarland then attended Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Texas.

As McFarland entered into adulthood, he served in the United States Air Force. Upon his return, he found himself struggling to get roles in films because he was so closely associated with the Spanky character. As a result, he took on other careers, including working at a soft drink factory, popsicle factory, and hamburger stand. By the 1950s, the Our Gang shorts were syndicated on television and McFarland began hosting a children’s show called The Spanky Show, airing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The show aired Little Rascals shorts—as the Our Gang shorts were now named in syndication—but the station deterred McFarland from expanding his show, leading him to quit in 1960.

McFarland continued to take on a variety of odd jobs, including selling wine, appliances, electronics, and furniture. He also operated a restaurant and night club at one point. He had success selling products for the Philco-Ford Corporation, ultimate working his way up to national sales training director.

McFarland married twice—first to Paula Jeanne Wilkinson and next to Doris Taulman McFarland. He and Doris had three children: George Gregory McFarland, Verne Emmett McFarland, and Betsy McFarland.

All the while, he was still making personal and cameo appearances in films and on television—affectionately nicknamed “Spank,” by then—with his former Our Gang peers. In 1985,  also went on to help launch The Nostalgia Channel, a Texas-based channel that screened classic films.

By the 1990s, McFarland was semi-retired. He participated in numerous fundraisers and golf tournaments, including the Annual Spanky McFarland Celebrity Golf Classic, which was held for 16 years in Marion, Indiana, throughout the 1970s and 1980s. McFarland’s final television appearance would be in a walk-on role for Cheers, as himself, in the “Woody Gets an Election” episode.

George McFarland in Cheers 1993
Spanky in a 1993 Episode of Cheers “Woody Gets an Election”

McFarland passed away from a heart attack on June 30, 1993. He was 64 years old. He was cremated soon after and plans were made to place a cenotaph in his honor at Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas. While these plans were approved, they have yet to be executed at the time of writing this article.

Today, few points of interest relating to McFarland remain. In 1928, McFarland and his family lived at 836 ½ N. Madison Ave., Dallas, Texas, which no longer stands. By 1930, his family boarded at 233 Jefferson Ave., Dallas, Texas, which has also been razed. In 1940, he and his family resided at 4626 Morse Ave., Sherman Oaks, California, which stands today.

4626 Morse Ave., Sherman Oaks, California
4626 Morse Ave., Sherman Oaks, California

McFarland also lived at 1711 Lakewood Blvd., Euless, Texas, which also stands.

1711 Lakewood Blvd., Euless, Texas
1711 Lakewood Blvd., Euless, Texas

Additionally, he lived at 8500 Buckner Ln., Ft. Worth, Texas. The home listing also noted that this was McFarland’s former estate. This home still stands, as well.

8500 Buckner Ln., Ft. Worth, Texas
8500 Buckner Ln., Ft. Worth, Texas

Today, McFarland and Jackie Cooper are the only Our Gang members with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. McFarland posthumously received his star in 1994, located at 7095 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California.

Spanky McFarland on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Spanky McFarland on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

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–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.

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Noir Nook: Oscar Omission – Edward G. Robinson

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

Noir Nook: Oscar Omission – Edward G. Robinson

One of my favorite times of the year is awards season. For years now, as soon as the Academy Awards are announced, I set upon a quest to see as many Oscar-nominated films and performances as possible. And I’m pleased to say that in 2022, because of streaming, I was able for the first time to see every film in each of eight major categories!

But I digress. The point of this month’s Noir Nook is not to discuss movies or performers that received Oscar accolades in the past but, instead, to shine the spotlight on Edward G. Robinson, a noir vet who was never a recipient of that golden statuette.

It’s hard to fathom, but Robinson was never even nominated for an Academy Award – this, despite a career that spanned seven decades and gave us versatile performances in such films as Little Caesar (1931), The Whole Town’s Talking (1935), Sea Wolf (1941), and Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945). Today, I’m taking a look at three of his noir performances that, in my opinion, should have been applauded by the Academy.

Barton Keyes: Double Indemnity (1944)

Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity (1944)
Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity (1944)

This feature – my all-time favorite, incidentally – centers on the deadly duo of housewife Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) and insurance agent Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray). These two team up for a little hanky-panky and a little murder, and intend to collect a big insurance payday after they do away with Phyllis’s hapless husband.

Robinson played Walter’s boss, a claims adjuster who houses a “little man” inside his gut that renders him capable of detecting all manner of subterfuge and wrongdoing. As Barton Keyes, Robinson serves up a master class in acting and gives us a character who is shrewd and relentless, compassionate, funny, and admirable. By all accounts, Robinson was initially reluctant to take on this supporting role, but he turned it into one of noir’s most memorable performances. He’s a standout from his first scene, where he outsmarts a luckless truck driver trying to collect on a fraudulent claim, to his last, full of pathos as he tenderly lights the cigarette of his doomed co-worker and friend.

Christopher Cross: Scarlet Street (1945)

Edward G. Robinson in Scarlett Street (1945)
Robinson in Scarlett Street (1945)

Robinson stars here as an unassuming cashier whose life is turned upside down when he saves the alluring Kitty March (Joan Bennett) from what appears to be an attack in the street by a stranger. Turns out that the stranger is Kitty’s no-good boyfriend, Johnny (Dan Duryea), who sees nothing but dollar signs when he and Kitty mistakenly believe that Chris is a wealthy artist. It’s an error that will ultimately lead to disaster for them all.

For my money, Chris Cross is one of Robinson’s most fascinating characters. He’s completely sympathetic, if a bit pitiable; he shows himself at the start to be an upstanding citizen, and when we meet his shrewish wife, we don’t blame him for stepping out with another woman. His primary joy in life (before meeting Kitty, that is), is putting his rather unusual point of view on canvas. And, unfortunately, once he falls for Kitty, he makes decisions that he otherwise would never have considered. Bad ones. And Robinson plays all of these facets to believable perfection.

Gino Monetti: House of Strangers (1950)

Edward G. Robinson and Luther Adler in House of Strangers (1950)
Edward G. Robinson and Luther Adler in House of Strangers (1950)

In this feature, Robinson is the strong-willed patriarch of an Italian family and the proprietor of a bank that he operates in the same way that he runs his family – with his own rules and an iron fist. Gino’s questionable banking practices land him in hot water with the law, but after years of being browbeaten by their father, three of his sons refuse to help. Only his favorite son, Max (Richard Conte), is willing to step up, but when Max bribes a jury member, he winds up serving a seven-year prison stretch – and, fueled by his father’s bitterness, emerges vowing vengeance against his siblings.

Robinson plays Gino as the despot you love to hate. We’re introduced to him as he’s taking a bubble bath, loudly belting an Italian song. When his eldest son, Joe (Luther Adler), enters, Gino commands him to scrub his back, barking out directions (“Higher! Harder! A little lower!”) before flicking suds in Joe’s face. We see further evidence of Gino’s treatment of his sons during one of the family’s weekly dinner gatherings. At Gino’s insistence, the meal is delayed in favor of the tardy Max, and when the youngest son, Pietro (Paul Valentine), eats a piece of bread, Gino orders him to spit it out, repeatedly referring to him as “Dumbhead.” Outside of the home, Gino’s king-like persona is demonstrated at the bank where each morning he hosts a throng of community residents, all seeking money from him, which he doles out in cash from a strongbox after listening to their various stories – a man who signs a note for $150 for a new horse is only given $120 (“Interest,” Gino explains. “I take it out in advance.”), while a woman who wants $62 train fare to send her sick child to Denver is given a fistful of money. When the woman tells him he has given her too much, Gino shrugs. “So I make a mistake.” In scene after scene, Robinson skillfully brings to life a character who embodies tyranny, ambition, and compassion, and – at the very end, an all-consuming resentment toward the three sons who turned against him.

I can’t think of another performer from Hollywood’s Golden Age who exhibited such talent and versatility yet was never recognized by the Academy. For my money, Edward G. Robinson should have, at the very least, been nominated for these three performances, if not received an Oscar for all three. What do you think? And can you think of any other noir performances that deserved Oscar recognition? Leave a comment and let me know!

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– 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:

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Silver Screen Standards: Harvey (1950)

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: Harvey (1950)

Adapted from a hit play that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, the 1950 film Harvey celebrates gentle, odd characters whose eccentricities make life more interesting for everyone around them. If you’ve spent much time around such folks, or perhaps are one yourself, you’ll find a lot to appreciate in this classic comedy about an amiable middle-aged bachelor and his invisible pooka pal.

Harvey (1950) Charles Drake, James Stewart, Peggy Dow
Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake) and Nurse Kelly (Peggy Dow) think that Elwood has been committed by mistake before they find out about Harvey.

The movie was a particular favorite of its star, James Stewart, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Elwood P. Dowd, and it’s certainly an example of Stewart at his sweetest, a huge shift from his darker roles in films from Anthony Mann and Alfred Hitchcock. Henry Koster directs this genial comedy, which supports Stewart with particularly memorable performances from Cecil Kellaway, Victoria Horne, and Jesse White, but it’s the delightfully dotty Josephine Hull who steals the picture as Elwood’s scatterbrained older sister.

Stewart leads as the alcoholic but affable Elwood, whose inherited financial comfort allows him to spend his days drinking in bars with his invisible rabbit companion, the titular Harvey. Elwood’s widowed sister, Veta (Josephine Hull), and her daughter, Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne), live with Elwood but are frustrated by the effect he and Harvey have on their social life. Veta conspires with a family friend, Judge Gaffney (William H. Lynn), to have Elwood declared insane and committed to a local sanitarium, but the process goes awry when the doctors mistakenly think that Veta is their new patient.

Harvey (1950) Cecil Kellaway, James Stewart
Dr. Chumley (Cecil Kellaway) begins to see things from Elwood’s point of view after a few drinks and a visit from Harvey.

Real mental illness is a serious subject, of course, but the characters in Harvey are not seriously ill. They’re kooky eccentrics of the type often seen in stage plays, screwball comedies, and sit coms. They’re also commonly found in real life, where they are referred to as “characters,” as if to suggest that they belong more to fictional space than humdrum reality. Elwood is certainly a “character” in that sense, but so are Veta, Myrtle Mae, the sanitarium attendant Martin (Jesse White), Dr. Chumley (Cecil Kellaway), and even his wife (Nana Bryant). The sanest people in the story are the young doctor (Charles Drake) and his lovelorn nurse (Peggy Dow), and they’re also the most boring, although it’s fun to watch Nurse Kelly fume at the clueless Dr. Sanderson.

Sane as they are, even these two fall for Elwood’s benevolence and gentle charm. Only a truly brutal person could wish normalcy on Mr. Dowd, as the taxi driver (Wallace Ford) makes clear in one of the picture’s most important scenes. “After this,” he warns Veta, “he’ll be a perfectly normal human being. And you know what stinkers they are!” If being normal means being miserable, then sanity isn’t worth it, although the movie’s last few scenes prove that Elwood is less crazy than everybody thinks.

Harvey (1950) James Stewart Portrait
Although we never see Harvey in the actual movie, we do see a striking portrait of the giant rabbit with his dear friend, Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart).

Stewart’s performance is thoroughly enjoyable, especially his scenes interacting with the unseen Harvey, for whom he carries a coat, pulls out chairs, holds doors, and dodges traffic. Every time Elwood meets a new person, he insists on introducing them to Harvey, which Stewart approaches with unflappable patience even as other characters talk over him or attempt to stop him. Given that the story is called Harvey, it’s crucial for us to accept that Elwood believes in the pooka even if we don’t, and Stewart sells us on the reality of the giant rabbit from the start. Stewart, however, claimed that Josephine Hull had the most difficult job in the cast because she had to believe and not believe in Harvey simultaneously. She manages the challenge brilliantly, but every scene with her is a hoot, whether she’s complaining about Harvey or trying to keep Myrtle Mae away from the amorous Martin. Having originated the role onstage, Hull knew her character intimately, and her performance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, beating out Hope Emerson in Caged (1950), Nancy Olson in Sunset Boulevard (1950), and both Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter for All About Eve (1950).

While it’s a shame that Josephine Hull didn’t appear in more movies, we have to be grateful that the few she did make include such hilarious classics as Harvey and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), another film in which Hull reprises her original stage role. As a fan of Cecil Kellaway in general, I’m sorry that he doesn’t get more screen time here, but his later scenes as Dr. Chumley, the head of the sanitarium, justify the casting choice.

Harvey (1950) William H. Lynn, Victoria Horne, Josephine Hull
Flanked by Judge Gaffney (William H. Lynn) and Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne), Veta (Josephine Hull) recounts the horrors of her experience at the sanitarium.

If you enjoy Jimmy Stewart comedies, try Wife vs. Secretary (1936), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), and, of course, The Philadelphia Story (1940), for which Stewart won his only Best Actor Oscar. It’s hard to think of other movies exactly like Harvey, but a number of comedic fantasies feature some of the same cast. For more of Cecil Kellaway, see the enchanting romantic comedy, I Married a Witch (1942). Kellaway and Jesse White both appear in the talking mule sequel, Francis Goes to the Races (1951). You’ll also find White in Disney’s talking cat comedy, The Cat from Outer Space (1978); late in his career he did voice work for animation and thus actually became a talking animal himself. Look for Peggy Dow with a larger role in the very unusual animal fantasy You Never Can Tell (1951), which stars Dick Powell as a German Shepherd reincarnated as a private detective to solve his own murder. Although we never actually hear Harvey speak, I’ve shown Harvey as part of a series featuring talking animal comedies like Francis (1950) and The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964). You could also pair it with Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) if rabbits hold particular appeal.

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— 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.

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Classic Movie Travels: Tommy Bond

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: Tommy Bond

Tommy Bond Young
Thomas “Tommy” Ross Bond

Thomas Ross Bond was born on September 16, 1926, in Dallas, Texas, to Ashley Ross Bond and Margaret Bond. His father worked as a commercial artist, focusing on ceramic art work. Young “Tommy” got his start as a child actor by the age of four, when a Hal Roach Studios talent scout encountered him as he was leaving a local cinema in Dallas with his mother. In 1931, after a long trek in the car with his grandmother to Hollywood, California, and with no guarantee of a role, he was hired at the Hal Roach Studios to appear in the Our Gang series.

Initially, Bond appeared as “Tommy,” a supporting character with minimal lines. He eventually gained more screen time over a period of three years until he left the series to attend public school.

Bond still continued to fulfill minor roles in other films, including Kid Millions (1934). He also found work as a voice actor, notably voicing the speaking parts for the jazzy “Owl Jolson” character in Tex Avery’s Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Love to Singa, in 1936. Hal Roach saw Bond portraying bratty characters in films and had a new idea for a character: “Butch,” the bully. In the same year, Bond returned to Our Gang, this time as Butch. He first appeared as Butch in Glove Taps (1937), bullying the neighborhood children and—to Alfalfa’s (Carl Switzer) dismay—vying for the affections of Darla (played by Darla Hood). Bond also worked alongside other Hal Roach Studios stars, including Charley Chase, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy. In 1937, Bond was also among the charter members of the Screen Actors Guild.

Tommy Bond as Butch in an Our Gang short, Party Fever (1938)
Tommy Bond as Butch in an Our Gang short, Party Fever (1938)

Bond continued with Our Gang on through its continuation at MGM studios in 1938. His last Our Gang appearance came in Building Troubles (1940) before Bond outgrew the role and transitioned out of series, appearing in other MGM films but often struggling to find roles as a young adult. In the end, Bond could be seen in 27 Our Gang shorts, appearing in 13 of them as Tommy and in the remaining 14 as Butch.

Despite his tough and troublesome on-screen image, Bond was by all accounts a kind and gentle person off-screen.  As the years went on, Bond served in the U.S. Navy, once again, returned to acting. He appeared in two Gas House Kids films alongside former Our Gang co-star Switzer. Though the two were on-screen enemies in Our Gang, they were actually good friends off-camera. Bond also appeared as young reporter Jimmy Olsen in Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950).

Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen and Noel Neill as Lois Lane in Superman (1948)
Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen and Noel Neill as Lois Lane in Superman (1948)

Bond went on to marry Pauline “Polly” Francis Goebel, otherwise known as Polly Ellis Bond and Miss California 1945. The two had one son, Tomas Robert Bond, II, and remained married until Bond’s passing.

In the early 1950s, Bond attended Los Angeles City College and earned a degree in theater arts from California State University, Los Angeles. Though he stopped acting professionally, he continued to work in the entertainment industry in television direction and production, including working as a production manager for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. He was employed at KTTV in Los Angeles, California, from the 1950s to the 1970s, and later at KFSN in Fresno, California, from the 1970s to 1991.

Bond was also dedicated to his Lutheran faith, actively involved in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church community in North Hollywood, California. He and many of his friends worked on the production and presentation of the community’s Christmas Pageant, presented on the grounds of the church’s school. This was no ordinary production—the pageant included several hundred participants, Hollywood sets and lighting, the construction of grandstands, and live animals. Horses were contributed from Spahn’s Movie Ranch, which previously supplied horses for Ben-Hur (1959). Bond was also instrumental in having the production filmed and aired on KTTV in 1965. The pageant was presented annually on the school’s grounds from 1960-1971, with a set costing more than $65,000. One videotape documenting the broadcast was found in the church storage room years later. All color copies were destroyed in a fire.

Tommy Bond Old
An older Bond

Bond retired from television in 1991 and frequently reflected upon his life and career, including his time in Our Gang. He published an autobiography in 1994, entitled Darn Right It’s Butch: Memories of Our Gang/The Little Rascals. He and Tommy R. Bond, II, worked together in their family production company, Biograph Company, as his son became a film and television producer. Bond also hosted a documentary called The Rascals, focusing on the Our Gang stars and serial. His final film role was as a neighbor in Bob’s Night Out (2004).

Bond passed away on September 24, 2005, from heart disease in Northridge, California. He was 79 years old. Bond was buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Today, various points of interest relating to Bond’s life remain. In 1926, he and his family lived at 4613 Gaston Ave., Dallas, Texas. The home stands today.

Tommy Bond 4613 Gaston Ave., Dallas, Texas
4613 Gaston Ave., Dallas, Texas

In 1930, the family was living on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, Texas. Census records are unclear as to the home address but, sequentially, his family was near 4452 Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, Texas.

Tommy Bond Residence 4452 Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, Texas
4452 Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, Texas

In 1940, Bond resided at 5230 Zelzah Ave., Encino, California. The original home no longer stands.

By 1950, Bond was living at 4742 Fulton Ave., Sherman Oaks, California. The original home no longer stands.

Bond’s alma mater, Los Angeles City College is located at 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, California.

Tommy Bond Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, California

Likewise, California State University, Los Angeles, is located at 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, California.

Tommy Bond California State University, 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, California
California State University, 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, California

Emmanuel Lutheran Church stands at 6020 Radford Ave., North Hollywood, California.

Tommy Bond Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 6020 Radford Ave., North Hollywood, California
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 6020 Radford Ave., North Hollywood, California

Riverside National Cemetery is located at 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, California.

Tommy Bond Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, California
Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, 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.

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Monsters and Matinees: Celebrating Ricou Browning

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Toni Ruberto

Celebrating Ricou Browning

“The Gill-Man is coming!”

That was me, giddy as a teen, just three years ago when it was announced that Ricou Browning would be appearing in my hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.

The idea of being in the room with Mr. Browning was unbelievable and was surely going to be a highlight of my life since I had loved classic horror films since I was a kid.

Ricou Browning in costume for Creature From the Black Lagoon.

He was the last of the Universal monsters, playing the underwater scenes as the title character in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and its two sequels. It was hard to fathom how it was going to be possible to meet one of the original Universal monsters and I couldn’t help thinking about what I would say to him if I had the chance.

But that announcement was in January of 2020. Two months later, the Covid-19 shutdown began, canceling everything nationwide including Mr. Browning’s visit and the convention he was to appear in.

This was the announcement for Ricou Browning’s planned 2020 appearance in Buffalo, N.Y. It was canceled two months later when the pandemic shut down live events.

While we waited for events to return, Mr. Browning’s family reached out to fans in September of 2021, asking us to send him a physical card or letter because of his declining health. And we did.

Now we’ve sadly learned that Mr. Browning died of natural causes on Feb. 27 in his Southwest Ranches, Fla. home at the age of 93.

“It is with deep sorrow I post the passing of a literal legend, Ricou Browning,” wrote family member Kristin LeFeuvre in a Facebook tribute.  “The Creature from the Black Lagoon was always a treat to be around. A man of little words, but a quick wit and a flashy smile.”

As we send our sympathy to his family and loved ones, we celebrate him not only as the Gill-Man but for his lengthy career as a director, writer, producer, stuntman and underwater coordinator and innovator.

Ricou Browning in a publicity shot for Creature from the Black Lagoon.

When Hollywood needed an expert for underwater footage and stunts, they called on him as a stunt diver/double for Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), the Lloyd Bridges TV show Sea Hunt (30 episodes, 1958-61) and The Aquanauts (1960-61).

That’s him doubling for Jerry Lewis in Don’t Give Up the Ship (1959) and directing the underwater sequences in Hello Down There (1967), Island of the Lost (1967) and the Bond films Thunderball (1965) with bad guys, knives, harpoons and sharks, and Never Say Never Again (1983).

He was the co-creator and the driving force behind Flipper, the 1963 movie about a pet dolphin and the TV series that followed (1964-67), writing episodes, directing 37 of them, and overseeing all the underwater photography. He worked well on land, too, directing 14 episodes of the TV series Gentle Ben (1967-69).

And he had a humorous streak, as seen in the hilarious Jaws-inspired candy bar in the pool scene of Caddyshack (1980).

That’s a wonderful career by any measure. And it’s all owed to the Gill-Man.

Ricou Browning’s film legacy

“We liked the way you swim. How would you like to be the creature of the Black Lagoon?”

Those were the words of director Jack Arnold in a phone call that changed the life of 23-year-old Florida lifeguard Ricou Browning, as Mr. Browning recalled during an interview in the fantastic David J. Skal documentary Back to the Black Lagoon: A Creature Chronicle (more on that later).

Ricou Browning wore a monster suit, but was still a graceful swimmer
in Creature From the Black Lagoon.

He was working at Wakulla Springs, Fla. – one of the world’s largest freshwater springs and a tourist attraction to this day – when he was asked to help scout locations for Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Wakulla Springs looked like it had not been touched by time which was perfect for the film about a creature that could have been from another time. Filmmakers immediately liked what they saw and asked if the young Ricou would swim so they could film perspective shots showing the size of things like logs, fish and people.

Just a couple of weeks later, Jack Arnold made that call and his life would never be the same.

Ricou Browning in the first sequel, Revenge of the Creature.

Mr. Browning would also play the creature for the underwater scenes in the two sequels, Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). For the topside (land) scenes, filmmakers wanted a more menacing creature so other actors were used; Tom Chapman in the original film, Tom Hennesy in the second and Don Megowan in the third.

Here’s the sad part though: none of the men received film credit for their work. Even when Mr. Browning repeatedly requested credit for Revenge of the Creature (1955), the studio turned him down. Instead, he was given publicity chances like photo ops to help him “get other jobs.” (There was a time when studios didn’t like to credit an actor for a creature-type of role so as not to take away the mystery.)

In addition to his underwater creature scenes, Ricou Browning, right, made a cameo as a lab assistant in Revenge of the Creature. He is pictured with Lori Nelson and John Agar.

Despite the studio’s best efforts, we know their names today.

People unfamiliar with Creature from the Black Lagoon may wonder what’s so special about a guy in a suit since movies are full of them. But Mr. Browning’s Gill-Man was special because it had character, personality and heart.

He was eloquent under the water despite the heavy suit and massive webbed hands and difficulty seeing because he couldn’t keep the water out of his eyes. He moved with long, graceful strides and effortlessly flipped and turned like he was dancing underwater.

And that brings us to one of the most iconic scenes in all of horror: The underwater ballet between the Gill-Man and the unknowing object of his affection Kay (played by Julia Adams, later known as Julie Adams). The pas de deux between the two was menacing, yet gorgeous. It could have been a scene from an Esther Williams film, if it didn’t involve a Universal monster.

In one of the most famous scenes in classic horror, the creature (Ricou Browning) mimics the motions of Kay who has no idea he is there in Creature From the Black Lagoon.

Who can forget the gracefulness of the scene as we watched the Gill-Man swimming within inches of Kay without her knowledge. Not me.

And not director Guillermo del Toro who saw Creature from the Black Lagoon when he was only 6. He is on the record saying that that he was charmed by the scene, as so many were, but was shocked when the creature and his human lady love didn’t get together. He vowed to fix that someday and he’s a man of word giving us his love letter to the creature in his Oscar winning film The Shape of Water (2007).

That film is how del Toro celebrated Mr. Browning. While, I could never make such a grand gesture, nor did I ever meet him, I finally realized what I wanted to say to Mr. Browning. I put it in a card for him that I can sum up in two words: Thank you.

Ricou Browning as Creature From the Black Lagoon.

To learn more

To learn more about Ricou Browning and Creature from the Black Lagoon and its sequels, I highly recommend the documentary Back to the Black Lagoon: A Creature Chronicle,” written, directed and produced by horror expert and author David J. Skal.

The documentary dives into all three films and we get to hear Ricou Browning discussing his work in them. You can find the documentary on multiple home video releases of the movie and rent it through various streaming platforms.



– 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 of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and now leads 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.

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