On this Day in Movie History, May 20, 1989: Actress/Comedienne Gilda Radner Dies

Actress/comedienne Gilda Radner died on this day, May 20,1989 in a Los Angeles hospital after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was 42. Radner’s death helped increase public awareness of the disease and the need for earlier detection and treatment.

Radner gained name recognition as one of the original “Not Ready For Prime Time Players”. A member of the freshman group on the first season of Saturday Night Live, she was the first actor cast for the show.

Between 1975 and 1980, she created such characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna, an obnoxious woman with wild black hair who would tell stories about the gross habits of celebrities on the show’s “Weekend Update” news segment, inspired in name and appearance by Rose Ann Scamardella, a news anchor at WABC-TV in New York City. Other SNL characters included “Baba Wawa,” a spoof of Barbara Walters, and Emily Litella, an elderly woman who gave angry and misinformed editorial replies on “Weekend Update” on topics such as “violins on television,” the “Eagle Rights Amendment,” “presidential erections,” and “protecting endangered feces.” Once corrected on her misunderstanding, Litella would end her segment with a polite “Never mind.” Radner parodied such celebrities as Lucille Ball, Patti Smith, and Olga Korbut in SNL sketches. Radner won an Emmy Award in 1978 for her work on SNL.

In 1979, Radner appeared on Broadway in a successful one-woman show entitled Gilda Radner – Live From New York. The show featured racier material, such as the song Let’s Talk Dirty to the Animals. In 1981, the show was filmed as Gilda Live!, co-starring Paul Shaffer and Don Novello, and was released as a film and an album recording.

 

On this Day in Movie History, May 18, 1897: Academy Award-winning Director Frank Capra Born

Sicilian-born American film director, Frank Robert Capra was born on this day, May 18, 1897. A creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s, his rags-to-riches story, having worked his way through college, has led film historians like Ian Freer to consider Capra the “American dream personified.”

Capra became one of America’s most powerful directors during the 1930s, winning three Oscars as Best Director. Among his leading films was It Happened One Night (1934), which became the first film to win all five top Oscars, including Best Picture. Other leading films included Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Lost Horizon (1937), You Can’t Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Meet John Doe (1941), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and State of the Union (1948). Because of his early fame as a director, his name was listed “above the title” of his films when they were publicized. People “flocked to the theaters” during the 1930s and 1940s to see films directed by Frank Capra.

After World War II, however, Capra’s career declined as his subjects were more out of tune with the mood of audiences. Critics described his films as being “simplistic” or “overly idealistic.” However, the public nonetheless loved his films, especially during the Great Depression years, when audiences needed uplifting themes of inspiration. His pictures let viewers witness “a triumph of the individual over corrupt leaders”, and experience “inherent qualities of kindness and caring for others.”

Most of Frank Capra’s best works have been revived, and are today considered timeless fables filled with love and respect for the struggles of the common man.

Are you a Michigan resident engaged in some aspect of Michigan’s film industry, whether a filmmaker, an actor/actress, or musician with credits in creating musical scores for Michigan movies, other? If so, write me. I would like to include your name, birthdate and credits on this blog. I can then link it to your facebook profile, IMDB page, or personal website.

 

THE HONOR OF THE PRESS (1932) Edward J Nugent – Rita La Roy

THE HONOR OF THE PRESS (1932) Edward J Nugent – Rita La Roy

A rookie reporter discovers a robbery conspiracy within the hierarchy of the newspaper he works for.

 

On this Day in Movie History, May 17, 1936: Actor Dennis Hopper Was Born

It was on this day, May 17, 1936, American actor, filmmaker and artist, Dennis Lee Hopper was born. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors Studio. Making his first television appearance in 1954, he appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956) During the next 10 years, Hopper appeared frequently on television in guest roles, and by the end of the 1960s had played supporting roles in several films.

In 1969 he directed and starred in Easy Rider, winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as co-writer. Journalist Ann Hornaday wrote: “With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies, Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s, a celluloid anthem to freedom, macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion.” Film critic Matthew Hays notes that “no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper.”

He was unable to build on his success for several years, until a featured role, that of the American Photojournalist, in Apocalypse Now (1979) he played brought him attention. He subsequently appeared in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983), and received critical recognition for his work in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers, with the latter film garnering him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He directed Colors (1988), played the lead character named after the movie title in Paris Trout, and played the villain in Speed (1994). He played another villain, King Koopa, in Super Mario Bros. (1993). Hopper also played heroes, such as John Canyon in Space Truckers. Hopper’s later work included a leading role in the television series Crash. Hopper’s last performance was filmed just before his death: The Last Film Festival, originally slated for a 2011 release. Hopper was also a prolific and acclaimed photographer, a profession he began in the 1960s.

Hopper died at his home in the coastal Los Angeles district of Venice on the morning of May 29, 2010 at the age of 74.

Are you a Michigan resident engaged in some aspect of Michigan’s film industry, whether a filmmaker, an actor/actress, or musician with credits in creating musical scores for Michigan movies, other? If so, write me. I would like to include your name, birthdate and credits on this blog. I can then link it to your facebook profile, IMDB page, or personal website.

 

Join Us for Our Salute to Military Members, May 26

Be our guest. Join us May 26, as the South-Central Michigan Film Alliance presents their Salute to the Military Members. This FREE! Sunday matinee will feature four short films, a documentary, and special guests. Includes:

FUBAR REDUX (Animated short, HasrafFX< 8:30minutes) Described as Platoon meets Animal Farm, this cinematic tour de force has been screened at Cannes, FMX 2012 and numerous other festivals worldwide.

THE JOCKSTRAP RAIDERS (Animated short, Mark Nelson, 18:55 minutes) A Student Academy Award winning animated short film about a group of misfits during world war I who must learn to become a team and overcome their deficiencies in order to save the world. This film has won numerous awards.

HOOLIGANS of WAR (documentary, Tyler Elliott, 67 minutes) Hooligans At War is a rare and unique look inside the everyday lives of soldiers fighting a war of counter insurgency.

DOG TAG (Narrated short, Mark Finnell, 32 minutes) explores the effects of America’s longest war within a middle class, mid-western family, and reveals both the regret and love of a father and his son.

Director and Co-Producer, Tina Gloss-Finnell will introduce this film and will be available afterwards for a meet and greet.

Local favorite Rusty Whedon will close this program with his hit Hey, Uncle Sam. Meet Rusty in person.

Again this event is FREE!

Here’s some information on Tina Gloss-Finnell

Tina Gloss-Finnell has emailed me. Although Mark will not be able to attend this event (he will be out of town shooting a documentary), Tina has confirmed that she will be present for our Salute. Tina appears in the film Dog Tag. She also has an impressive resume. You may recognize her from her various roles.

Television
Pushing Daisies – Recurring/Ned’s Mother – ABC/Barry Sonnenfeld
Talk Show w/ Spike Feresten – Co-Star – Fox/Peter Folks
Generation Gap – Lead – Kushner Productions
Whitebread TV – Co-Star – Blind Justice Prods.
The Fine Art of TV – Co-Star – WNPB Prods.

Film (Selected)
Restoration Dogs – Lead – The Silver Stage
Still Me – Lead – Brookwood Films
Blind – Lead – Heroic Bloodshed Films
Smokey J and the Keys – Lead – Monkeyporn Pictures
Meet the Neighbor – Lead – Group 101 Films
Ed (Ted) – Co-Star – Shadow Boxing Prods.

Commercial
Available Upon Request

Stage (Selected/LA Only)
Song of St. Tess – Eva – Secret Rose Theater
Rumors – Chris Gorman – Theatre Forty
Heart of a Dog – Vyazemskaya – Elephant Stageworks
Jack Cracker – Perdie – Lucid by Proxy
Lysistrata, DC – Cleo – Electric Lodge
Cotillion – Mae Belle – Lucid by Proxy
Macbeth – Lennox – Knightsbridge Theater
Spinelli (world premiere) – Katharine Hepburn – Long Beach Playhouse
Powder Puff Derby (SR) – Amelia Earhart – Museum of Flying
The Stairwell (SR) – Mary – Creative Center
Bad Girls Revisited – Lady Macbeth – Raven Playhouse
Life’s Little Transitions – Subway – Sweet Lies Theater

Again, this event is FREE!

 

On this Day in Movie History, May 16, 1929: First Academy Awards Were Presented

The first Academy Awards were presented on this night, May 16, 1929. Hosted by Douglas Fairbanks and William C. de Mille, this first awards ceremony of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. It attracted an audience of 200 people.

Janet Gaynor was named Best Actress for her performance in “Seventh Heaven”, which also won the Best Director/Dramatic Picture for Frank Borzage, and the Best Writing/Adaptation for Benjamin Glazer. Lewis Milestone was named Best Director/Comedy Picture for “Two Arabian Knights”. Emil Jannings received two Best Actor awards, one for the 1927 flick,”The Way of All Flesh”, the other for “The Last Command” (1928) and “Wings” was selected as Best Film Production. A second Best Film award was presented to “Sunrise” for Unique and Artistic Production. It also won for Best Cinematography (Charles Rosher and Karl Struss). Other countries honor their film industry each year, too.

The statuette we know so well as Oscar was not included in this first presentation for films made in 1927-1928. Oscar didn’t make an appearance until 1931.

Are you a Michigan resident engaged in some aspect of Michigan’s film industry, whether a filmmaker, an actor/actress, or musician with credits in creating musical scores for Michigan movies, other? If so, write me. I would like to include your name, birthdate and credits on this blog. I can then link it to your facebook profile, IMDB page, or personal website.

 

On this Day in Movie History, May 15, 1905: Joseph (Cheshire) Cotten Born

American film, stage and television actor Joseph Cheshire Cotten was born on this day, May 15, 1905 (D. February 6, 1994). Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair. He first gained worldwide fame in the Orson Welles films Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), and Journey into Fear (1943), for which Cotten was also credited with the screenplay.

He went on to star in such popular films as Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Duel in the Sun (which remains one of the top 100 highest grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation), Love Letters (1945), Portrait of Jennie (1948) and The Third Man (1949).

Are you a Michigan resident engaged in some aspect of Michigan’s film industry, whether a filmmaker, an actor/actress, or musician with credits in creating musical scores for Michigan movies, other? If so, write me. I would like to include your name, birthdate and credits on this blog. I can then link it to your facebook profile, IMDB page, or personal website.