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Tag Archives: Peter Bogdanovich
Happy birthday, Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was born on Dec. 27, 1901. Peter Bogdonavich on Dietrich: What a remarkably dedicated Old World artist she was! The only German superstar, the one European with the longest international appeal — and this despite two World Wars … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, On This Day
Tagged Josef von Sternberg, Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles, Peter Bogdanovich
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Speaking of The Grinch: Boris Karloff
Peter Bogdonavich, in his wonderful book, Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors, devotes a chapter to Boris Karloff. Here’s an excerpt: Through four decades during his lifetime, and now more than thirty years later, the name … Continue reading
Marilyn Monroe: “The Last Love Goddess”
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors, by Peter Bogdanovich: The fact is that Marilyn was in bad trouble from the day she was born as Norma Jean Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in the city … Continue reading
“She Had Such an Inferiority Complex.”
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors, by Peter Bogdonavich: Howard Hawks, who directed her first big success, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (co-starring established, top-billed sex goddess Jane Russell), had initially directed her a year earlier, in … Continue reading
Marilyn Monroe: “She was committed to these parts as though they were real people, not cardboard cutouts.”
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors, by Peter Bogdonavich: More than forty years have passed since Marilyn’s mysterious death, but her legend and persona have survived. This is all the more remarkable because she actually … Continue reading
James Cagney Appreciation Day
I have to agree with Bogdonavich below – that the prison mess hall scene in White Heat when Cagney freaks out – is one of those moments in movie history that you never forget – a high water mark for … Continue reading
James Cagney Appreciation Day
That picture, by the way, is from the unbelievable last scene of Roaring Twenties – the “big shot” moment. I thought it would be appropriate to post the excerpt that mentions how beautifully Cagney always did death scenes. Bogdonavich – … Continue reading
James Cagney Appreciation Day
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors: He was different from most of the great stars of the golden age in that he often played villains — even late in his career — comically in Mister … Continue reading
James Cagney Appreciation Day
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors: Of course, he was like no other dancer: his straight-legged, cocky, constantly surprising way of hoofing — which is how he started in show business — was seen only … Continue reading
James Cagney Appreciation Day
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors: One critic wrote of White Heat that only a hard-boiled director like Raoul Walsh could get away with having Cagney — during a terrible migraine attack — sit on … Continue reading
Posted in Actors
Tagged James Cagney, Peter Bogdanovich, Public Enemy, Raoul Walsh, White Heat, William Wellman
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