E. Duke Vincent, the writer and two-time Emmy-winning producer who partnered with Aaron Spelling on such hugely popular shows as Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, 7th Heaven and Melrose Place, has died. He was 91.
Vincent died on Feb. 10 in his home in Montecito, California, his wife, actress Pamela Hensley, announced.
He and Spelling produced more than 40 series together, also including Hotel, Vegas, Matt Houston, Madman of the People and The Colbys; seven miniseries, among them Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives in 1985 and James Michener’s Texas in 1994; and more than three dozen telefilms.
Vincent won his Emmys for executive producing Day One, a 1989 CBS movie about the Manhattan Project that starred David Strathairn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the 1994 HBO movie And the Band Played On, centering on the AIDS epidemic.
An only child, Edward Ventimiglia was born on April 30, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Egizio, was a pilot...
Vincent died on Feb. 10 in his home in Montecito, California, his wife, actress Pamela Hensley, announced.
He and Spelling produced more than 40 series together, also including Hotel, Vegas, Matt Houston, Madman of the People and The Colbys; seven miniseries, among them Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives in 1985 and James Michener’s Texas in 1994; and more than three dozen telefilms.
Vincent won his Emmys for executive producing Day One, a 1989 CBS movie about the Manhattan Project that starred David Strathairn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the 1994 HBO movie And the Band Played On, centering on the AIDS epidemic.
An only child, Edward Ventimiglia was born on April 30, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Egizio, was a pilot...
- 2/27/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Miiko Taka, who made her film debut with a starring turn opposite Marlon Brando in Sayonara, the 1957 Korean War-set drama about “defiant desire,” has died. She was 97.
News of her death was posted Jan. 4 on social media by a grandson. Details of her death were not available, with her son informing The Hollywood Reporter through a spokesperson that his family did not want to participate in an obituary.
Taka also appeared with Glenn Ford and her Sayonara co-star Miyoshi Umeki in the war comedy Cry for Happy (1961), alongside Bob Hope in A Global Affair (1963), opposite James Garner (another Sayonara actor) in Norman Jewison’s The Art of Love (1965) and with Cary Grant in his last film, Walk Don’t Run (1966), set during the Tokyo Olympics.
Directed by Joshua Logan and adapted by Paul Osborn from a 1954 novel by James Michener, Sayonara featured Brando as U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Lloyd...
News of her death was posted Jan. 4 on social media by a grandson. Details of her death were not available, with her son informing The Hollywood Reporter through a spokesperson that his family did not want to participate in an obituary.
Taka also appeared with Glenn Ford and her Sayonara co-star Miyoshi Umeki in the war comedy Cry for Happy (1961), alongside Bob Hope in A Global Affair (1963), opposite James Garner (another Sayonara actor) in Norman Jewison’s The Art of Love (1965) and with Cary Grant in his last film, Walk Don’t Run (1966), set during the Tokyo Olympics.
Directed by Joshua Logan and adapted by Paul Osborn from a 1954 novel by James Michener, Sayonara featured Brando as U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Lloyd...
- 1/14/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Set in the New Hebrides during World War II, James A. Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific inspired the sweepingly romantic stage and film versions of South Pacific—his best-selling The Bridges at Toko-Ri resulted in a far grimmer portrayal of war directed by Mark Robson. William Holden plays a rebellious navy aviator flying missions over North Korea and Grace Kelly his faithful if long-suffering wife. Mickey Rooney is along for some comic relief while Fredric March toes the line as a no-nonsense Admiral.
The post The Bridges at Toko-Ri appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Bridges at Toko-Ri appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 2/28/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The most glamorous movie about the Korean War experience lauds the bravery of Navy aviators while spelling out the downside of fighting an unpopular war. William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March and Mickey Rooney turn in sharp performances, and Charles McGraw gets his best character part as a no-nonsense flight commander. Paramount’s special effects department outdid themselves on this one — the illusions are beautifully matched to the live-action filmmaking. Heaven help the good civilian soldier that finds himself asking how he ended up getting shot at in a ditch in some far-off foreign country.
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 30
1954 / Color / Open Matte flat 1:37 (should be 1:85 widescreen) / 102 min. / Street Date February 24, 2021 / Available from Viavision / 34.95
Starring: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, Charles McGraw, Keiko Awaji, Earl Holliman, Richard Shannon, Willis Bouchey, Teru Shimada, Dennis Weaver, Corey Allen, Gene Reynolds, Roger Pace.
Cinematography: Loyal Griggs...
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 30
1954 / Color / Open Matte flat 1:37 (should be 1:85 widescreen) / 102 min. / Street Date February 24, 2021 / Available from Viavision / 34.95
Starring: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, Charles McGraw, Keiko Awaji, Earl Holliman, Richard Shannon, Willis Bouchey, Teru Shimada, Dennis Weaver, Corey Allen, Gene Reynolds, Roger Pace.
Cinematography: Loyal Griggs...
- 3/13/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Exclusive: Chelsea Field, who has recurred as Rita Devereaux on NCIS: New Orleans for the past four seasons, has been promoted to series regular for CBS drama’s upcoming seventh season.
After a successful career as an attorney with the Department of Justice, Field’s Rita returned to her hometown of New Orleans to pursue a relationship with Dwayne Pride, her one-time boyfriend, portrayed by her real-life husband, NCIS: Nee Orleans star Scott Bakula. Her character was first introduced in the second half of Season 3.
Created by Gary Glasberg, NCIS: New Orleans is a drama about the local field office that investigates criminal cases involving military personnel in The Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence.
In addition to Bakula, Vanessa Ferlito, Necar Zadegan, Charles Michael Davis, Rob Kerkovich, Cch Pounder and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell also star. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios.
After a successful career as an attorney with the Department of Justice, Field’s Rita returned to her hometown of New Orleans to pursue a relationship with Dwayne Pride, her one-time boyfriend, portrayed by her real-life husband, NCIS: Nee Orleans star Scott Bakula. Her character was first introduced in the second half of Season 3.
Created by Gary Glasberg, NCIS: New Orleans is a drama about the local field office that investigates criminal cases involving military personnel in The Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence.
In addition to Bakula, Vanessa Ferlito, Necar Zadegan, Charles Michael Davis, Rob Kerkovich, Cch Pounder and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell also star. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios.
- 9/29/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Back when interracial marriage was a shady topic (are those dark days coming back?) the U.S. military had some adjustment issues. Full integration of the ranks didn’t remove the anti- Japanese bigotry. James Michener’s novel has been transformed into a big-scale romance, with Marlon Brando coming to terms with a split in loyalty between the flag and his private life. The big shock is that the Paul Osborn’s screenplay doesn’t let the military off easy.
Sayonara
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1957 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 147 min. / Street Date November 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Marlon Brando, Patricia Owens, James Garner, Martha Scott, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Red Buttons, Kent Smith.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Film Editors: Philip W. Anderson, Arthur P. Schmidt
Production Design: Ted Haworth
Original Music: Irving Berlin, Franz Waxman
Written by Paul Osborn from the novel by James Michener
Produced by William Goetz...
Sayonara
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1957 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 147 min. / Street Date November 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Marlon Brando, Patricia Owens, James Garner, Martha Scott, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Red Buttons, Kent Smith.
Cinematography: Ellsworth Fredericks
Film Editors: Philip W. Anderson, Arthur P. Schmidt
Production Design: Ted Haworth
Original Music: Irving Berlin, Franz Waxman
Written by Paul Osborn from the novel by James Michener
Produced by William Goetz...
- 11/21/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The sequel to the epic Julie Andrews road show picture wasn't a hit, but it tells a good story of its own. Charlton Heston is okay but the central character is a Chinese immigrant played by Tina Chen. Against all odds, the peasant matriarch survives plagues and leprosy to found a family dynasty for the new Hawaii. The Hawaiians Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / Ship Date February 9, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Charlton Heston, Tina Chen, Geraldine Chaplin, Mako, John Phillip Law, Alec McCowen, Miko Mayama, Virginia Ann Lee, Chris Robinson, Naomi Stevens, Keye Luke, Khigh Dhiegh, Mary Munday, Harry Townes, Lyle Bettger, James Hong, James Gregory, Harry Holcombe, Victor Sen Yung Cinematography Lucien Ballard, Philip Lathrop Film Editor Byron Brandt, Ralph Winters Original Music Henry Mancini Written by James R. Webb from the novel by James A. Michener Produced by Walter Mirisch Directed by...
- 3/1/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow and Richard Harris bring James Michener's true saga to life -- but it's the story of the destruction of paradise. A huge success just the same, producer Walter Mirisch's film testifies to the skill with which he brought together big talent for a show that doesn't compromise with a happy-happy historical revision. Hawaii Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 161 min. / Ship Date January 19, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman, Carroll O'Connor, Jocelyne Lagarde, Manu Tupou, Ted Nobriga, Elizabeth Logue. Cinematography Russell Harlan Production Designer Cary Odell Art Direction James W. Sullivan Film Editor Stuart Gilmore Original Music Elmer Bernstein Written by Dalton Trumbo, Daniel Taradash from the novel by James Michener Produced by Walter Mirisch Directed by George Roy Hill
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Well, fans of James Michener that missed the...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Well, fans of James Michener that missed the...
- 1/26/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A review of last night's "Mad Men" coming up just as soon as I'm the quick brown fox... "We both know things can't be undone." -Trudy "Says who?" -Pete "Mad Men" has chronicled a period of enormous social change (and taken place in a time of enormous change in television), yet it's often seemed agnostic on whether individual change is possible. Over the course of the series, fashions shifted and opportunities rose for women and minorities, but were the "Mad Men" characters themselves really changing with the times? Peggy has certainly grown, yet we've seen Don and Roger and Joan and others have epiphany after epiphany, only to eventually lean back on their old habits. (And even Peggy hasn't been immune to stagnation in her personal life, even as she's evolved professionally.) If anything, Don's frequent backsliding has been one of the most common complaints I've heard about the series'...
- 5/11/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Grossing just under forty million domestically and scoring two Academy Award nominations (for its actresses Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern), Wild arrives on Blu-ray on it’s cushion of critical acclaim. French-Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee’s follow-up to the 2013 The Dallas Buyers Club is less problematic in its examination of a notable real life personality, but follows his verve to chart descent and ascent as juxtaposition on a linear, clearly defined timeline. Though Witherspoon’s sometimes showy performance tends to feel a bit too glossy, even if just for its ability to seem like predictable awards consideration fodder, the film succeeds in surprising ways both in how it tries to address the realities of sexual addiction to mask emotional pain and as an excellent showcase for the too often underrated Dern.
Arriving at the end of star Witherspoon’s auteur binge is one of her most rewarding turns in years.
Arriving at the end of star Witherspoon’s auteur binge is one of her most rewarding turns in years.
- 3/31/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
“There are many here among us / Who feel that life is but a joke / But you and I we’ve been through that / And this is not our fate.” • Bob Dylan, All Along the Watchtower, 1967
“What’s it all about, Alfie?” • Burt Bacharach and Hal David
I’m writing this while listening to the soundtrack of the revival of South Pacific, which played at Lincoln Center here in NYC in 2008 and won eight Tony awards. It starred Kelli O’Hara as Nellie Forbush, Paulo Szot as Emile de Beque, and Matthew Morrison (Will Schuster on Glee) as Lt. Joseph Cable. The show, written by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Joshua Logan, opened on Broadway in 1949, and is based on James Michener’s series of short stories about the Pacific theatre, Tales of the South Pacific, which was published in 1947, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. It was...
“What’s it all about, Alfie?” • Burt Bacharach and Hal David
I’m writing this while listening to the soundtrack of the revival of South Pacific, which played at Lincoln Center here in NYC in 2008 and won eight Tony awards. It starred Kelli O’Hara as Nellie Forbush, Paulo Szot as Emile de Beque, and Matthew Morrison (Will Schuster on Glee) as Lt. Joseph Cable. The show, written by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Joshua Logan, opened on Broadway in 1949, and is based on James Michener’s series of short stories about the Pacific theatre, Tales of the South Pacific, which was published in 1947, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. It was...
- 2/23/2015
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
A Prayer for the Wild at Heart: Vallee Continues Reinvention of Lost Souls
Arriving at the end of star Reese Witherspoon’s auteur binge is one of her most rewarding turns in years with Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild, based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling memoir. As Vallee’s follow-up to the crowd pleasing and hopelessly problematic The Dallas Buyers Club, this ‘based’ on a true story is a much safer bet as far as lack of exaggeration and blatant use of liberties taken to enhance the dramatic effectiveness (in other words, many of the characterizations here might actually be based on real people). Frank in its portrayals of both sexual content and drug situations of its protagonist without ever demonizing or labeling her predicament as anything more than a loss of control born out of abject grief and longing, it’s clearly a genuine portrayal of a woman undergoing...
Arriving at the end of star Reese Witherspoon’s auteur binge is one of her most rewarding turns in years with Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild, based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling memoir. As Vallee’s follow-up to the crowd pleasing and hopelessly problematic The Dallas Buyers Club, this ‘based’ on a true story is a much safer bet as far as lack of exaggeration and blatant use of liberties taken to enhance the dramatic effectiveness (in other words, many of the characterizations here might actually be based on real people). Frank in its portrayals of both sexual content and drug situations of its protagonist without ever demonizing or labeling her predicament as anything more than a loss of control born out of abject grief and longing, it’s clearly a genuine portrayal of a woman undergoing...
- 12/1/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Grace Kelly is an actress that I haven’t spent nearly enough time with. Thankfully, that will soon change thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Here is a portion of the news release …
On July 29, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will remember one of Hollywood’s most glamorous film stars with the debut of the Grace Kelly Collection. The Collection includes six of the iconic screen legend’s most popular films. She stars with some of Hollywood’s finest leading men, including Clark Gable, Cary Grant, William Holden, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
About the Films
Mogambo (1953)
Kelly received her first Academy Award nomination (Best Actress in a Supporting Role) in this remake of 1932’s Red Dust, in which Gable originally starred with Jean Harlow. He stars here with Kelly and the sizzling Ava Gardner, who was also nominated for her performance. Directed by John Ford, and shot on location in Africa,...
On July 29, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will remember one of Hollywood’s most glamorous film stars with the debut of the Grace Kelly Collection. The Collection includes six of the iconic screen legend’s most popular films. She stars with some of Hollywood’s finest leading men, including Clark Gable, Cary Grant, William Holden, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
About the Films
Mogambo (1953)
Kelly received her first Academy Award nomination (Best Actress in a Supporting Role) in this remake of 1932’s Red Dust, in which Gable originally starred with Jean Harlow. He stars here with Kelly and the sizzling Ava Gardner, who was also nominated for her performance. Directed by John Ford, and shot on location in Africa,...
- 7/17/2014
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Many fans of Eli Roth and werewolves are familiar with the Netflix original series, Hemlock Grove. But before the creature of the night stalked the residents of the small Pennsylvania town on film, it was raising hell on the printed page. Published by Fsg Originals, author Brian McGreevy’s Hemlock Grove: A Novel is the source of all the monster mayhem of the show, and with the second season of Hemlock Grove set to premiere this Friday, we’ve been provided with an excerpt from the book.
“An exhilarating reinvention of the gothic novel, inspired by the iconic characters of our greatest myths and nightmares. Now a hit television series on Netflix.
The Monster is Within
The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A manhunt ensues — though the authorities...
“An exhilarating reinvention of the gothic novel, inspired by the iconic characters of our greatest myths and nightmares. Now a hit television series on Netflix.
The Monster is Within
The body of a young girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A manhunt ensues — though the authorities...
- 7/8/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Go break out those behemoth copies of James Michener’s The Source, because Middle Eastern archeological thrillers are making a comeback. Heroes creator Tim Kring and Gideon Raff, creator of the Israeli series Prisoners Of War that forms the basis of Homeland, have inked a six-episode order at USA for Dig, an “archeological thriller about an American FBI agent in Jerusalem.” Dig is the first Israeli-made drama to be sold directly to series for American audiences, and it will film entirely on location in Jerusalem, with access already granted to the city’s historical sites. The show will center on ...
- 11/14/2013
- avclub.com
Yes, this past Thursday I hit the big 6-0. Yeah, yeah, I know a woman isn’t supposed to reveal her age, but just who the hell would I be fooling? Not my family. Nor any of my friends. Not even those who read my comics back in the 80s and 90s and care to do a little homework and math – Iirc, the New Talent Showcase issues included bios by all the tyros whose work appeared in that book. Mine lists my birthday. And as long as I talking about that bio, for the record I was not particularly inspired by Star Wars or – with absolutely no disrespect intended, and I’m not saying I don’t love their work – to George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Gerry Conway, or Doug Moench. This is how I remember it happened.
Joey Cavalieri (who wrote the bios) asking me who my favorite writers were.
Joey Cavalieri (who wrote the bios) asking me who my favorite writers were.
- 10/28/2013
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Who's that man posing with the Beatles? He's the Hollywood producer who signed the Fab Four to star in A Hard Day's Night before they touched down in America for the first time. He's also the guy who launched the James Bond movie franchise by giving the green light to make Dr. No, then saved it by luring Sean Connery back for one more movie. He also discovered the likes of Steve Martin and Woody Allen on the stand-up circuit and started their movie careers. Many movers and shakers in the entertainment industry are hidden in the fine print and not seen in the spotlight, and now legendary producer David Picker is stepping out with a new memoir – Musts, Maybes, and Nevers: A Book About the Movies – and sharing some Hollywood tales with ETonline.
Pics: Hollywood's Hottest Movie Posters
"I've been a very lucky guy," says Picker. "I wound up in a situation where I was able...
Pics: Hollywood's Hottest Movie Posters
"I've been a very lucky guy," says Picker. "I wound up in a situation where I was able...
- 10/3/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
History is important. Understanding the history of a subject leads to the understanding and interpretation of current events. Knowing where you were can help you in comprehending where you are now. For instance, want to understand the current Mideast conundrum? Learn about World War I and the break-up of the Ottoman Empire by the British Empire and its allies because that’s where our modern Middle East troubles really started.
“But history is so boring!” you say?
Then pick up a good book. I don’t mean a “bustier and boudoir” romance novel – I mean a novel that explores, through its characters and situations, the mores and creeds and ethos of its time. War And Peace, To Kill A Mockingbird, Marjorie Morningstar, Tales Of The South Pacific – well, okay, James Michener’s book is a collection of short stories – The Grapes Of Wrath; even Gone With The Wind will help...
“But history is so boring!” you say?
Then pick up a good book. I don’t mean a “bustier and boudoir” romance novel – I mean a novel that explores, through its characters and situations, the mores and creeds and ethos of its time. War And Peace, To Kill A Mockingbird, Marjorie Morningstar, Tales Of The South Pacific – well, okay, James Michener’s book is a collection of short stories – The Grapes Of Wrath; even Gone With The Wind will help...
- 8/12/2013
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Michelle Williams has reportedly been asked to star in Michael Mayer's new big-screen version of the classic musical "South Pacific".
The story follows U.S. navy ensign Nellie Forbush, the hick from Little Rock nursing injured sailors and soldiers in the New Hebrides Islands during World War II.
Lynn Grossman has penned the screenplay, while Bob Balaban, Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman and Denis Wigman are producing.
Grossman has reportedly gone back to James Michener's Pulitzer prize-winning novel "Tales Of The South Pacific" for use in the script. The work was the source material that Rodgers and Hammerstein used for the their original stage show.
Source: The Daily Mail...
The story follows U.S. navy ensign Nellie Forbush, the hick from Little Rock nursing injured sailors and soldiers in the New Hebrides Islands during World War II.
Lynn Grossman has penned the screenplay, while Bob Balaban, Ileen Maisel, Lawrence Elman and Denis Wigman are producing.
Grossman has reportedly gone back to James Michener's Pulitzer prize-winning novel "Tales Of The South Pacific" for use in the script. The work was the source material that Rodgers and Hammerstein used for the their original stage show.
Source: The Daily Mail...
- 5/10/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The closest ever-lovely leading lady Michelle Williams has come to movie musicals is singing briefly (though prettily) as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. (See above.) Still, The Daily Mail reports that the three-time Oscar nominated actress has been offered the lead role in an in-development remake of the 1959 movie musical South Pacific, which memorably starred Mitzi Gaynor as Ensign Nellie Forbush. There is also buzz that the filmmakers are looking to pursue "someone like Justin Timberlake" for the role of Lieutenant Cable. Rather than pulling inspiration from the Gaynor movie, author/screenwriter Lynn Grossman penned a "richly developed" script that harkens back to the source material for Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1949 Broadway production, a Pulitzer prize-winning novel by James Michener called Tales of the South Pacific. Songs like "There Is Nothing Like A Dame," "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Hai" and "I.m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta...
- 5/10/2013
- cinemablend.com
So here's some interesting news of the day: Bob Balaban is producing a remake of the musical "South Pacific." It's a bit surprising, considering his credits as a producer thus far have been few, with "Gosford Park" the most notable, but yeah, he's hoping to give the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical a contemporary big-screen redo. And he's found someone to possibly be his new Mitzi Gaynor. Michelle Williams has been offered the part of Nellie Forbush, in the movie that will chronicle the romances that bloom between an American nurse and an expatriate Frenchman in the South Pacific, and a U.S. lieutenant and a Tonkinese woman, as race issues play out in the background. And that's really about all. According to the Daily Mail, this version of the musical will incorporate the songs more organically by hewing closer to the novel by James Michener that first inspired the stage show.
- 5/10/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Former television executive and producer Deanne Barkley has died. Barkley passed away on April 2 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. She was 82 years old. Barkley was named ABC’s Vice-President in charge of the network’s made-for-tv movies in 1972 during Barry Diller’s regime. Later she moved over to NBC in a similar role where she green lit hit miniseries based on James Michener’s Centennial novel and James Clavell’s Shogun. Also at NBC, Barkley gave former Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days actor Ron Howard his first directing job on 1978’s Cotton Candy. Along the way, the exec introduced Howard to his long time business partner Brian Grazer. Barkley was born in New Orleans in 1931. She started out in the early days of TV in the 1950s interviewing contestants for game shows. Later Barkley went on to be a writer and producer for talk shows hosts by Dick Cavett and Cosmopolitan’s Helen Gurley among others.
- 4/12/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
A half century ago, The Saturday Evening Post had grown beyond the heyday of its Norman Rockwell contributions but still had a position of cultural significance. The publication still attracted above-the-title contributors like James Michener, but bold-faced questions about how to treat the coming tidal shifts in views on family, sexuality and America’s place in the global conversation featured prominently on the front page, as if to provide an antidote to a coming predicament. Obviously, the views of one publication can't represent the attitudes of the entire country. But when the Saturday Evening Post did turn to the film world it communicated a level of primary importance -- as if this was truly a topic worth bringing to widespread attention, sandwiched between talk of post-Eisenhower policy and notable short fiction. The Post treated the film industry as a singular institution. "The movies" were an amorphous hodgepodge of foreign offerings,...
- 1/25/2013
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
On Sunday's (April 29) upcoming episode of "Mad Men" -- titled "At the Codfish Ball" -- Don Draper (Jon Hamm) takes a break from his usual wardrobe of sharp suits to lounge in his pajamas and catch up on some light reading. Meanwhile, new wife Megan Draper (Jessica Paré) is opting to stick close to the TV.
So what does Don read in his spare time? In the picture, he's holding a copy of Bernard Malamud's 1966 novel, "The Fixer." The book -- about "a man who finds himself a stranger in his community and a victim of irrational prejudice as a wave of anti-Semitic hysteria engulfs a town after the murder of a boy" -- won that year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction and The National Book Award.
From the Wikipedia book synopsis: "[The main character] finally finds it in his heart to forgive his former wife, who left him just before the novel began.
So what does Don read in his spare time? In the picture, he's holding a copy of Bernard Malamud's 1966 novel, "The Fixer." The book -- about "a man who finds himself a stranger in his community and a victim of irrational prejudice as a wave of anti-Semitic hysteria engulfs a town after the murder of a boy" -- won that year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction and The National Book Award.
From the Wikipedia book synopsis: "[The main character] finally finds it in his heart to forgive his former wife, who left him just before the novel began.
- 4/27/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Julia Flynn Siler Julia Flynn Siler and Her Royal Highness Princess Abigail Kawananakoa.
A few days before heading to Honolulu on book tour for “Lost Kingdom,” I got a phone call from the assistant to Her Royal Highness Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, the woman who is the most direct descendant of the last queen of Hawaii. If the monarchy had not been overthrown in 1893, Princess Abigail today might well have become Hawaii’s queen.
I’d interviewed Princess Abigail by phone...
A few days before heading to Honolulu on book tour for “Lost Kingdom,” I got a phone call from the assistant to Her Royal Highness Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, the woman who is the most direct descendant of the last queen of Hawaii. If the monarchy had not been overthrown in 1893, Princess Abigail today might well have become Hawaii’s queen.
I’d interviewed Princess Abigail by phone...
- 3/12/2012
- by Julia Flynn Siler
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Noted Southern writer and occasional Paste contributor William Gay was reportedly found dead last night at the age of 68, reports The Nashville Scene. Suspected cause of death is heart failure. Gay, a naval veteran of the Vietnam War, didn’t publish his first novel until 1999, when The Long Home won a James A. Michener Memorial Prize and started a bidding war among publishers for the follow-up, Provinces of Night. His 2002 novel I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down was adapted by director Scott Teems. That Evening Sun was one of Paste’s best movies of 2009. In...
- 2/24/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Elizabeth Hartman and Sidney Poitier in A Patch of Blue (1965)
Look, I can't help it: The Oscars rule. I care about them. I refuse to stop thinking about them. And if you read snicks' recent Oscar snubs piece, you'd refuse too. If you love entertainment, glamor, and winning, you simply have to love the Oscars. And Project Runway. But hey, back to the Oscars! Even the biggest Oscarphiles can stand to know more about the precious gold statuette, and I'm willing to bet most of you don't know about these five nominees, actresses who've faded from public consciousness. Let's revisit the weird and wild catacombs of the Academy's most fascinating forgotten ladies, shall we?
Eva Le Gallienne: Respected Actress, Kickass Lesbian
Before Gloria Stuart hurled an ugly diamond into the Atlantic in Titanic, Eva Le Gaillienne was the oldest woman nominated for an Oscar at age 80 for Resurrection, a...
Look, I can't help it: The Oscars rule. I care about them. I refuse to stop thinking about them. And if you read snicks' recent Oscar snubs piece, you'd refuse too. If you love entertainment, glamor, and winning, you simply have to love the Oscars. And Project Runway. But hey, back to the Oscars! Even the biggest Oscarphiles can stand to know more about the precious gold statuette, and I'm willing to bet most of you don't know about these five nominees, actresses who've faded from public consciousness. Let's revisit the weird and wild catacombs of the Academy's most fascinating forgotten ladies, shall we?
Eva Le Gallienne: Respected Actress, Kickass Lesbian
Before Gloria Stuart hurled an ugly diamond into the Atlantic in Titanic, Eva Le Gaillienne was the oldest woman nominated for an Oscar at age 80 for Resurrection, a...
- 2/9/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
HollywoodNews.com: The island of Bora Bora, located in the famed islands of Tahiti in the South Pacific and known for its world-renowned blue lagoon, will be featured in three episodes of E! ’s hit show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The Bora Bora episodes air on Sundays, August 21st and 28th and September 4th. The two-part finale airs Sunday, September 4th and Monday, September 5th at 10pm Et/Pt on E! Keeping Up with the Kardashians is produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions and Bunim/Murray Productions.
The Kardashians began their dream vacation on Air Tahiti Nui, Tahiti’s luxurious, award-winning international airline. Officially known as French Polynesia, the islands of Tahiti are much closer than many people think. Only eight hours from Los Angeles, located in the same time zone as Hawaii, and the same distance below the equator as Hawaii is above the equator. Covering a vast area...
The Kardashians began their dream vacation on Air Tahiti Nui, Tahiti’s luxurious, award-winning international airline. Officially known as French Polynesia, the islands of Tahiti are much closer than many people think. Only eight hours from Los Angeles, located in the same time zone as Hawaii, and the same distance below the equator as Hawaii is above the equator. Covering a vast area...
- 8/17/2011
- by Anastasia Alvarado
- Hollywoodnews.com
William Morris' policy for its book/literary department was to send out coverage and trust its West Coast colleagues to sell its books to TV and film. Occasionally New York agents such as Peter Lampack and Ron Yatter ignored it and did the selling on their own. Owen Laster, department chief, appeared to follow tradition, but in reality Owen regularly called me for a head's up. He was significantly responsible for my first miniseries at NBC. It was in fact his call that morning, saying that he would be sending a memo that James A. Michener's "Kent State:...
- 6/28/2011
- by Arthur Axelman
- The Wrap
Updated through 6/7.
In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, John Horn and Steven Zeitchik report on the uphill battle Fox Searchlight will be fighting this summer as they roll out Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life from just four theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles to eight more cities next week, all the way to 200 by the July 4 holiday weekend. In short, they realize that Brad Pitt and the Palme d'Or alone won't hack it. If marketing success were measured by the sheer bulk of critical coverage, though — and, Lord knows, it isn't — the team could already be resting on its laurels.
Reverse Shot, for example, has spent all this past week with the film, running five essays in all. Here in The Notebook, we've had Daniel Kasman's first impressions from Cannes and, on Thursday, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky's (if you'll allow us) magnificent review. Both follow, of course,...
In yesterday's Los Angeles Times, John Horn and Steven Zeitchik report on the uphill battle Fox Searchlight will be fighting this summer as they roll out Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life from just four theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles to eight more cities next week, all the way to 200 by the July 4 holiday weekend. In short, they realize that Brad Pitt and the Palme d'Or alone won't hack it. If marketing success were measured by the sheer bulk of critical coverage, though — and, Lord knows, it isn't — the team could already be resting on its laurels.
Reverse Shot, for example, has spent all this past week with the film, running five essays in all. Here in The Notebook, we've had Daniel Kasman's first impressions from Cannes and, on Thursday, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky's (if you'll allow us) magnificent review. Both follow, of course,...
- 6/7/2011
- MUBI
ABC's Body Of Proof to L.A. from Rhode Island
The new crime drama starring Dana Delany and Jeri Ryan filmed its first season in Providence, R.I., but uncertainty surrounding the small state's film tax credit program put California in play. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has recommended dismantling the state film tax credit program to balance the state's budget. The production has a crew of about 200 people.
Eden Riegel welcomes son
Riegel tweeted on Sunday: "Jack Oscar Miller's! Born 4:07 Pm, 8lbs 14 oz., 22 inches long."
Marnie Schulenburg in "South Pacific" starting June 15
Opening the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 20th anniversary season is Rodgers and Hammerstein's thrilling musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by James Michener. A young U.S. Navy nurse falls in love with an island plantation owner during World War II. The incredibly romantic score includes "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame.
The new crime drama starring Dana Delany and Jeri Ryan filmed its first season in Providence, R.I., but uncertainty surrounding the small state's film tax credit program put California in play. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has recommended dismantling the state film tax credit program to balance the state's budget. The production has a crew of about 200 people.
Eden Riegel welcomes son
Riegel tweeted on Sunday: "Jack Oscar Miller's! Born 4:07 Pm, 8lbs 14 oz., 22 inches long."
Marnie Schulenburg in "South Pacific" starting June 15
Opening the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 20th anniversary season is Rodgers and Hammerstein's thrilling musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by James Michener. A young U.S. Navy nurse falls in love with an island plantation owner during World War II. The incredibly romantic score includes "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame.
- 5/23/2011
- by We Love Soaps TV
- We Love Soaps
Owen Laster, the former head of the William Morris Agency's worldwide literary division who spent his entire career at that agency until he retired in 2006, has died of cancer. He was 72. Laster was a classy dealmaker and represented the likes of James Michener, Ralph Ellison, Edward Albee and Gore Vidal. He was a key player on the New York literary scene for decades and made many big deals in an understated manner. Here is his obit from The New York Times.
- 3/11/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Filed under: Features, Cinematical
This is the first in a series of columns looking back at interesting years in movie history.
I'm going to pretend I have a time machine with a broken dial, and that each week's journey will be pretty much random (although I don't plan to go into the future). Each year, there are discrepancies around foreign films and other odd releases; sometimes they do not reach the United States until the following year or even many years later. So for the sake of our time traveling, we will have access to all the films in the world that year. For our inaugural journey, we have landed exactly fifty years in the past, in 1960.
What Was the Story?
Dwight D. Eisenhower would spend his last months in office, and John F. Kennedy is elected in November. Elvis Presley, recently returned from his famed military service, is still on the charts,...
This is the first in a series of columns looking back at interesting years in movie history.
I'm going to pretend I have a time machine with a broken dial, and that each week's journey will be pretty much random (although I don't plan to go into the future). Each year, there are discrepancies around foreign films and other odd releases; sometimes they do not reach the United States until the following year or even many years later. So for the sake of our time traveling, we will have access to all the films in the world that year. For our inaugural journey, we have landed exactly fifty years in the past, in 1960.
What Was the Story?
Dwight D. Eisenhower would spend his last months in office, and John F. Kennedy is elected in November. Elvis Presley, recently returned from his famed military service, is still on the charts,...
- 11/18/2010
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Moviefone
Filed under: Features, Cinematical
This is the first in a series of columns looking back at interesting years in movie history.
I'm going to pretend I have a time machine with a broken dial, and that each week's journey will be pretty much random (although I don't plan to go into the future). Each year, there are discrepancies around foreign films and other odd releases; sometimes they do not reach the United States until the following year or even many years later. So for the sake of our time traveling, we will have access to all the films in the world that year. For our inaugural journey, we have landed exactly fifty years in the past, in 1960.
What Was the Story?
Dwight D. Eisenhower would spend his last months in office, and John F. Kennedy is elected in November. Elvis Presley, recently returned from his famed military service, is still on the charts,...
This is the first in a series of columns looking back at interesting years in movie history.
I'm going to pretend I have a time machine with a broken dial, and that each week's journey will be pretty much random (although I don't plan to go into the future). Each year, there are discrepancies around foreign films and other odd releases; sometimes they do not reach the United States until the following year or even many years later. So for the sake of our time traveling, we will have access to all the films in the world that year. For our inaugural journey, we have landed exactly fifty years in the past, in 1960.
What Was the Story?
Dwight D. Eisenhower would spend his last months in office, and John F. Kennedy is elected in November. Elvis Presley, recently returned from his famed military service, is still on the charts,...
- 11/18/2010
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Cinematical
Though it is set during World War II and deals with issues of classism and racism, South Pacific is also a musical featuring songs called "Happy Talk" and "A Cockeyed Optimist," and is intended to make you feel good at the end. So who is supposed to benefit from a "tougher, more realistic" telling of the story? No, really, I'm asking, because someone seems to think it's a good idea. According to Variety, Ileen Maisel and Bob Balaban are planning another adaptation of the stage musical, this one apparently leaning more heavily on the original James Michener novel Tales of the South Pacific. Don't call it a fresh take on the material, though, because they're still using the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, meaning that no matter how "tough" and "realistic" the new Nurse Nellie is, she still has to sing "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" at...
- 7/9/2010
- cinemablend.com
Variety are today reporting that a remake of the classic musical made in 1958, South Pacific is in production. The movie was directed by Joshua Logan and starred Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr and Ray Walston was shot in Hawaii and in it’s year of release had the highest Box Office takings bringing in $36m ($23m). It was based on the James Michener Musical set on an island during World War 2.
According to the site, they plan to keep all the songs from the movie but will make it more hard-edged (whatever that means!). Ileen Maisel and Bob Balaban will producer the movie under their banner, Amber Entertainment.
“Our movie will be a tougher, more realistic retelling of the same classic story of two very different people whose love for each other transcends their enormous cultural differences,” Balaban said. “We think there’s a whole new audience just waiting...
According to the site, they plan to keep all the songs from the movie but will make it more hard-edged (whatever that means!). Ileen Maisel and Bob Balaban will producer the movie under their banner, Amber Entertainment.
“Our movie will be a tougher, more realistic retelling of the same classic story of two very different people whose love for each other transcends their enormous cultural differences,” Balaban said. “We think there’s a whole new audience just waiting...
- 7/8/2010
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"South Pacific" will come back to the bigscreen after over 50 fifty years. Amber Entertainment's Ileen Maisel and Bob Balaban's Chicago films are developing the new incarnation alongside Imagem who own the Rodgers & Hammerstein copyrights. According to Variety, the plans are to keep the beloved songs but go after a harder-edged version. Musical is based on "Tales of the South Pacific" written by James Michener. The story takes place on an island during World War II. Maisel and Balaban are producing with Denis Wigman of Imagem and Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein company.
- 7/8/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Joshua Logan‘s South Pacific: John Kerr, Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi (top); John Kerr, France Nuyen (bottom) Tonight at 7:30 p.m., a recently restored 70mm print of the Joshua Logan-directed film version of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s musical South Pacific will be screened at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. South Pacific stars Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, and France Nuyen. The Academy screening is presented in association with Center Theater Group, currently hosting the touring version of the South Pacific Broadway revival. Following the screening, Center Theatre Group’s artistic director Michael Ritchie will lead an onstage discussion featuring veteran Mitzi Gaynor (above), a superb dancer who starred (or was featured in) several 1950s musicals, including There’s No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes, and Les Girls. Based on James Michener’s novel,...
- 6/26/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a recently restored 70mm print of “South Pacific” at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The screening is presented in association with Center Theater Group, which is hosting the touring version of the current Broadway revival.
Following the screening, Center Theatre Group’s artistic director, Michael Ritchie, will lead an onstage discussion featuring Mitzi Gaynor, who portrays Ensign Nellie Forbush in the film.
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical version of James Michener’s novel premiered on stage in 1949 and was adapted for film in 1958. Set against the backdrop of World War II, “South Pacific” explores the dynamics of romantic attraction and racial prejudice among several residents of a fictitious South Pacific island and members of the U.S. Navy.
Featuring numerous well-loved songs, including “Some Enchanted Evening,” “A Wonderful Guy,” “Happy Talk” and “Bali Ha’i,...
The screening is presented in association with Center Theater Group, which is hosting the touring version of the current Broadway revival.
Following the screening, Center Theatre Group’s artistic director, Michael Ritchie, will lead an onstage discussion featuring Mitzi Gaynor, who portrays Ensign Nellie Forbush in the film.
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical version of James Michener’s novel premiered on stage in 1949 and was adapted for film in 1958. Set against the backdrop of World War II, “South Pacific” explores the dynamics of romantic attraction and racial prejudice among several residents of a fictitious South Pacific island and members of the U.S. Navy.
Featuring numerous well-loved songs, including “Some Enchanted Evening,” “A Wonderful Guy,” “Happy Talk” and “Bali Ha’i,...
- 6/3/2010
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Marvin Minoff, who produced the famed Richard Nixon interviews with David Frost, numerous telefilms and the 1998 film "Patch Adams," died Nov. 11 at his Los Angeles home with family and friends at his bedside. He was 78.
Minoff, the husband of actress Bonnie Franklin and the longtime business partner of writer-actor Mike Farrell, left the agency business after 15 years to become president of Frost's David Paradine Television in 1974.
There, he executive produced with the talk-show host and John Birt the interviews with Nixon that were broadcast in syndication in 1977, three years after the disgraced U.S. president resigned. The interviews were the basis of "Frost/Nixon," the Broadway play that was adapted into the 2008 film that was a best picture Oscar nominee. Keith MacKechnie played Minoff in the film.
Paradine also did subsequent interview sessions with Nixon's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the Shah of Iran.
A Brooklyn native and the...
Minoff, the husband of actress Bonnie Franklin and the longtime business partner of writer-actor Mike Farrell, left the agency business after 15 years to become president of Frost's David Paradine Television in 1974.
There, he executive produced with the talk-show host and John Birt the interviews with Nixon that were broadcast in syndication in 1977, three years after the disgraced U.S. president resigned. The interviews were the basis of "Frost/Nixon," the Broadway play that was adapted into the 2008 film that was a best picture Oscar nominee. Keith MacKechnie played Minoff in the film.
Paradine also did subsequent interview sessions with Nixon's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the Shah of Iran.
A Brooklyn native and the...
- 11/13/2009
- by By Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Noted Muggle/compassionate conservative George W. Bush was apparently a devout Harry Potter hater. The former commander in chief wasn't about to honor J.K. Rowling, the talent behind the book series, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom...and for quite the logical reason. "People in the White House…actually object[ed] to giving the author J.K. Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encouraged witchcraft," writes former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer in his book, Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor. That's right. Good ol' Dubya and his administration dissed the mega-selling British author, refusing to let her join the ranks of James A. Michener,...
- 9/30/2009
- E! Online
Dick Berg, a prominent television writer and producer whose career ranged from live TV to movies of the week and longform programming, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 87.
His producing credits range from "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater" to the detective series "Checkmate" to the miniseries "Space" and "The Martian Chronicles."
With his wife of 63 years, Barbara, he also headed something of a modern-day Hollywood dynasty. Their sons are Icm chairman and CEO Jeff Berg, author A. Scott Berg, music producer and executive Tony Berg and producer and manager Rick Berg.
"More than anybody I can think of in television, my father proved to be extremely successful on a commercial level without every compromising quality," Scott Berg said. "It wasn't just that he had a great eye for talent -- especially writers -- but he really knew how to get the best out of everybody.
His producing credits range from "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater" to the detective series "Checkmate" to the miniseries "Space" and "The Martian Chronicles."
With his wife of 63 years, Barbara, he also headed something of a modern-day Hollywood dynasty. Their sons are Icm chairman and CEO Jeff Berg, author A. Scott Berg, music producer and executive Tony Berg and producer and manager Rick Berg.
"More than anybody I can think of in television, my father proved to be extremely successful on a commercial level without every compromising quality," Scott Berg said. "It wasn't just that he had a great eye for talent -- especially writers -- but he really knew how to get the best out of everybody.
- 9/2/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The supplements on the lavish new Blu-ray edition of 1958’s South Pacific explain at length why the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical broke new ground when it debuted in 1949. Adapted from James Michener’s short-story collection Tales Of The South Pacific, the play used a group of sailors stationed in the South Seas during World War II to explore racial prejudice. It was a daring topic, one Hammerstein had approached before with Showboat, and it found a receptive audience, thanks in no small part to songs—“Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right ...
- 4/29/2009
- avclub.com
. Mitzi Gaynor with Cinema Retro contributor Eddy Friedfeld in New York.
By Eddy Friedfeld
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 “I never worked with a stinker- how great is that?” Mitzi Gaynor said as she recalled working with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Cole Porter, Rogers and Hammerstein. Probably because the legendary actress, singer, and dancer never worked on any project that she did not make better.
In New York City celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of the film South Pacific on Blu-Ray disc, Ms. Gaynor was radiant, charismatic, and vibrant, still possessing all the energy that could “wash that man right out of her hair,” recalling her iconic character, Nellie Forbush.
Filmed on location on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, the classic and enduring South Pacific is about a young American nurse from Little Rock (Gaynor) who meets the handsome and mysterious...
By Eddy Friedfeld
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 “I never worked with a stinker- how great is that?” Mitzi Gaynor said as she recalled working with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Cole Porter, Rogers and Hammerstein. Probably because the legendary actress, singer, and dancer never worked on any project that she did not make better.
In New York City celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of the film South Pacific on Blu-Ray disc, Ms. Gaynor was radiant, charismatic, and vibrant, still possessing all the energy that could “wash that man right out of her hair,” recalling her iconic character, Nellie Forbush.
Filmed on location on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, the classic and enduring South Pacific is about a young American nurse from Little Rock (Gaynor) who meets the handsome and mysterious...
- 4/12/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 Chicago – Twentieth Century Fox has pulled out all the stops for the 50th anniversary of one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “South Pacific”. With an entire supplemental disc of not just special features but an extended version of the film and one of the most pristine video transfers that Fox has yet produced, “South Pacific” is one of the best musical HD releases to date.
Having been a theatre student and lover of movie musicals from a young age, I’ve seen “South Pacific” several times, even if it’s never been what I would consider the cream of the crop when it comes to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s work. And yet, and this is the sign of a truly great Blu-Ray release, the film felt knew to me in HD. And despite the film’s overall flaws, the Blu-Ray release of it is absolutely flawless.
Having been a theatre student and lover of movie musicals from a young age, I’ve seen “South Pacific” several times, even if it’s never been what I would consider the cream of the crop when it comes to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s work. And yet, and this is the sign of a truly great Blu-Ray release, the film felt knew to me in HD. And despite the film’s overall flaws, the Blu-Ray release of it is absolutely flawless.
- 4/2/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
TOKYO -- Miyoshi Umeki, the first Asian to win an Oscar, died Aug. 28 at a nursing home in Licking, Mo. She was 78.
Umeki won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1957 after playing opposite Red Buttons in Sayonara, the screen version of the James Michener novel about a U.S. soldier who falls in love amid the chaos at the end of World War II.
Fated to be parted when he is ordered to return to the U.S., the pair commits suicide.
"This is a major loss to the Japanese movie industry," said Yuko Nakano, a spokeswoman for the Motion Pictures Producers Assn. of Japan.
Born in the northern city of Otaru in 1929, Umeki began her performing career by singing jazz numbers at military camps during the occupation. After spells on radio and TV in Japan, she moved to the U.S. in 1955, when she quickly caught the attention of Sayonara director Joshua Logan.
Umeki won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1957 after playing opposite Red Buttons in Sayonara, the screen version of the James Michener novel about a U.S. soldier who falls in love amid the chaos at the end of World War II.
Fated to be parted when he is ordered to return to the U.S., the pair commits suicide.
"This is a major loss to the Japanese movie industry," said Yuko Nakano, a spokeswoman for the Motion Pictures Producers Assn. of Japan.
Born in the northern city of Otaru in 1929, Umeki began her performing career by singing jazz numbers at military camps during the occupation. After spells on radio and TV in Japan, she moved to the U.S. in 1955, when she quickly caught the attention of Sayonara director Joshua Logan.
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