They Made Me a Killer: A Film Noir Tale of Revenge, Betrayal, and Small-Town Corruption (1946)
They Made Me a Killer is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by William C. Thomas, and written by Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and Kae Salkow, based on story by Owen Franes. It stars Barbara Britton and Robert Lowery, and marks the final screen appearance of Lola Lane. It was made by Pine-Thomas, the B-movie unit of Paramount Pictures.
Plot
After his brother is killed in an accident, Tom Durling quits his job and drives across country. He gives an attractive girl a ride and is subsequently forced at gun point to be the driver in a bank robbery. During the crime another innocent man, Steve Reynolds, is involved and killed in the escape. After a high-speed chase, the car crashes and Durling is knocked unconscious. The bandits get away, the police arrest Durling and refuse to believe that he isn't one of the robbers.
Durling escapes the police then later teams with Reynolds' sister in an attempt to prove his innocence. The trail leads to a small roadside diner where the two end up finding the gang hiding out in the building's basement. They go undercover, she as a waitress and Durling joining the gang. In the end, they trick the criminals into confessing their crimes. Durling's reputation is saved, and the criminals, led by a Ma Barker-type mom, get shot up.
Cast
Robert Lowery as Tom Durling
Barbara Britton as June Reynolds
Lola Lane as Betty Ford
Frank Albertson as Al Wilson, Glen Grove patrolman
Elisabeth Risdon as 'Ma' Conley (as Elizabeth Risdon)
Byron Barr as Steve Reynolds
Edmund MacDonald as Jack Conley aka Chance
Ralph Sanford as Patrolman Roach
James Bush as Frank Conley
Paul Harvey as District Attorney Booth
John Harmon as Joe Lafferty
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Kansas City Confidential: A Tale of Revenge and Deception in Film Noir (1952)
"Kansas City Confidential" is a classic film noir from 1952 directed by Phil Karlson. The movie tells the story of an ex-con named Joe Rolfe (played by John Payne) who is falsely accused of a robbery he did not commit. In an effort to clear his name, he sets out to track down the real culprits.
Joe's search takes him to Mexico, where he uncovers a complex web of deception and betrayal. He meets a series of shady characters, including a corrupt police officer, a femme fatale, and a group of criminals who are planning their next heist.
As Joe gets closer to the truth, he becomes increasingly embroiled in the criminal underworld and finds himself in danger at every turn. With his life on the line, he must use all of his wit and cunning to stay alive and bring the real culprits to justice.
"Kansas City Confidential" is a thrilling and suspenseful film that explores themes of revenge, deception, and the dark underbelly of the criminal underworld. The performances by the cast, particularly John Payne and Coleen Gray, are exceptional, and the film's moody and atmospheric cinematography adds to its overall impact. Overall, "Kansas City Confidential" is a must-see for fans of classic film noir.
Cast:
John Payne as Joe Rolfe
Coleen Gray as Helen Foster
Preston Foster as Mr. Big
Neville Brand as Boyd Kane
Lee Van Cleef as Tony Romano
Jack Elam as Pete Harris
Dona Drake as Teresa
Mario Siletti as Tomaso
Howard Negley as Police Capt. Edwards
Carleton Young as Detective Timmons
John Doucette as Detective Johnson
Ted Ryan as Detective Williams
Kelo Henderson as Detective Bailey
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Hollow Triumph (1948): A Film Noir Thriller Starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett
"Hollow Triumph" is a film noir released in 1948, directed by Steve Sekely and starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett. The film tells the story of John Muller, a convicted criminal who, after being released from prison, plans to rob a casino. However, his plan goes awry, and he ends up accidentally killing a security guard. To escape the police, Muller assumes the identity of Dr. Bartok, a psychiatrist who looks just like him but has a distinctive scar on his face.
Muller's plan seems to work as he successfully takes over Dr. Bartok's life, but complications arise when he falls in love with Bartok's secretary, Evelyn Hahn, played by Joan Bennett. As he tries to keep up his charade, Muller becomes embroiled in a web of lies and deceit, leading to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion.
The film is notable for its moody and atmospheric cinematography, which creates a dark and foreboding atmosphere throughout. Paul Henreid delivers a gripping performance as John Muller and impressively portrays the character's struggle with his own identity and morality. Overall, "Hollow Triumph" is a tense and engrossing thriller that explores themes of identity, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions.
Paul Henreid as John Muller/Dr. Bartok
Joan Bennett as Evelyn Hahn
Eduard Franz as Frederick Muller
Leslie Brooks as Virginia Taylor
John Qualen as Swangron
Margo Woode as Receptionist
Charles Arnt as Joe
George Chandler as Bellboy
Jack Webb as Detective Sentry
Harold Vermilyea as Police Captain
Hollow Triumph (working title The Man Who Murdered Himself, reissued in the United States as The Scar) is a 1948 American film noir crime film directed by Steve Sekely starring Paul Henreid, Joan Bennett and Leslie Brooks. It was released by Eagle-Lion Films, based on the 1946 novel of the same title written by Murray Forbes. The film's sets designed by the art director Edward L. Ilou.
Plot
Just released from prison, John Müller (Paul Henreid) masterminds a holdup at an illegal casino run by Rocky Stansyck (Thomas Browne Henry). The robbery goes bad, and the mobsters capture some of Müller's men and force them to identify the rest before killing them. Stansyck has a reputation for tracking down and killing his enemies, no matter how long it takes, so Müller decides to leave town and hide. He takes an office job recommended by his law-abiding brother, Frederick (Eduard Franz), but quickly decides that working for a living is not for him.
Joan Bennett as Bartok's secretary
A chance encounter with dentist Dr. Swangron (John Qualen) reveals that Müller looks exactly like a psychoanalyst who works in the same building, Dr. Bartok, the only difference being a large scar on the left side of the doctor's face. Seizing the opportunity, he begins researching Bartok, even slipping into his office to examine his records. He is discovered by the doctor's secretary, Evelyn Hahn (Joan Bennett). She mistakes him for her employer and kisses him, but quickly realizes he is someone else. He persuades her to go out with him, though she has become embittered and claims to have given up any dreams of finding love.
Müller sets out to impersonate Bartok, aided by the fact he studied psychoanalysis in medical school before dropping out. He takes a photograph of the doctor and uses it as a guide to cut an identical scar on his own face. Unfortunately, the developers of the photograph reversed the negative, so now Muller has the scar on the wrong side. He discovers the mistake only after he has already murdered Bartok and is preparing to dump the body in the river. He has no choice but to go through with the plan anyway. Luckily, no one (except the office cleaning lady, whose suspicions he manages to lull) notices the difference, not even Evelyn or Bartok's patients.
Müller discovers "he" has a girlfriend, Virginia Taylor (Leslie Brooks), and that they frequent Maxwell's, a high class casino. It also turns out Bartok has been losing heavily.
When a worried Frederick Müller tries to contact his brother, the trail leads to Bartok. The scar convinces Frederick that the man he sees is merely a lookalike. Evelyn, previously unaware of the switch (but now very suspicious), reveals that John Müller said he was going to Paris. Frederick Müller tells "Bartok" that his brother no longer has to hide; Stansyck was convicted for "income tax problems" and is scheduled to be deported.
Afterwards, Evelyn realizes that Müller is an imposter and that he must have killed the psychoanalyst. Though he admits to her he did, she does not turn him in to the police; instead she purchases a ticket to sail to Honolulu. Müller finds out and promises he will go with her, but she does not believe he would leave such an opportunity to enrich himself. Müller arranges for other doctors to take care of his patients and heads to the dock. There, however, he is intercepted by two men who want to discuss Bartok's $90,000 gambling debt. When Müller tries to break away, they fatally shoot him. Evelyn sails away, unaware that Müller lies dying on the dock.
Cast
Paul Henreid as John Müller / Dr. Victor Emil Bartok
Joan Bennett as Evelyn Hahn
Eduard Franz as Frederick Müller
Leslie Brooks as Virginia Taylor
John Qualen as Swangron
Mabel Paige as Charwoman
Herbert Rudley as Marcy
Charles Arnt as Coblenz
George Chandler as Artell, Assistant
Sid Tomack as Aubrey, Manager
Alvin Hammer as Jerry
Ann Staunton as Blonde
Paul E. Burns as Harold (as Paul Bruns)
Charles Trowbridge as Deputy
Morgan Farley as Howard Anderson
Thomas Browne Henry as Rocky Stansyck
Jack Webb as Bullseye (uncredited)
Henry Brandon as Big Boy (uncredited)
Production
Henreid wanted to move into production after being under contract with Warner Bros. He optioned a novel which had been suggested to him by director Steve Sekely and set up the project at the newly formed Eagle Lion. Henreid was keen to play the lead role, a gangster, as it was a different sort of part for him. He hired Daniel Fuch to write the script having admired the latter's work on Between Two Worlds. He wanted Evelyn Keyes for the lead but she was under contract to Columbia and Harry Cohn refused to loan her out, so Joan Bennett was cast instead.[1]
Henreid says Eagle Lion were unhappy with Sekely's direction, so they replaced him with Henreid.[1]
Reception
Henreid says the film did well at the box office but the film was linked financially with three other movies from star producers. None of these did well so Henreid saw no profits.[1]
Critical response
The New York Times critic Thomas M. Pryor called it "an adequate examination of an intelligent criminal type. There is not quite enough logic in the plot to enable it to stand up under scrutiny, but the story moves along briskly, the performances are sound and there is always the promise of more violence just around the corner."[2]
Alain Silver in Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style notes "As in many of these B thrillers, the plot is contrived although the film's conclusion is as downbeat as any noir film since Scarlet Street."[3]
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Gambler's Choice (1944): A Classic Film Noir Tale of Love, Gambling, and High-Stakes Risks
"Gambler's Choice" is a 1944 American film noir directed by Frank McDonald and starring Chester Morris and Nancy Kelly. The movie tells the story of small-time gambler Dan Farley (Chester Morris), who falls in love with the wealthy socialite Margaret Wyndham (Nancy Kelly) while they are both staying at a mountain resort. Margaret's father disapproves of their relationship, and Dan's gambling habit only adds to his disapproval.
As Dan tries to win Margaret's father's approval, he finds himself caught up in a high-stakes gambling ring. He soon discovers that the gambling ring is rigged, and he's in danger of losing everything, including Margaret. Dan must decide whether to risk it all on one final bet or walk away from the game and the woman he loves.
The film received mixed reviews upon its release, with some praising Morris's performance and the film's suspenseful plot, while others criticized the screenplay's lack of depth. Nevertheless, "Gambler's Choice" remains a notable entry in the film noir genre and is still enjoyed by fans of classic cinema today.
Chester Morris as Dan Farley
Nancy Kelly as Margaret Wyndham
Russell Hayden as Johnny Donovan
Lee Patrick as Miss Frankie
Richard Lane as Inspector Sullivan
Lola Lane as Irene
Addison Richards as Mr. Wyndham
Selmer Jackson as Judge
William Forrest as Eddie Hale
William 'Billy' Benedict as Muggins
Claire Whitney as Miss Spaulding
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For You I Die: A Film Noir Crime Thriller of Love, Loyalty, and Redemption (1947)
The 1947 American film noir "For You I Die" directed by John Reinhardt is a gripping crime thriller that tells the story of a hardened criminal named Johnny Coulter (played by Paul Langton) who falls in love with a young woman named Mary Gibson (played by Cathy Downs). After breaking out of prison, Johnny and his gang rob a bank and end up taking Mary hostage.
As the story unfolds, Johnny and Mary develop a strong emotional bond, and Johnny begins to question his criminal lifestyle. However, the police are hot on their trail, and the gang must evade capture while figuring out their next move.
The film features excellent performances by the lead actors, with Langton portraying the complex character of Johnny Coulter with depth and nuance. The supporting cast, including Mischa Auer and Roman Bohnen, also deliver strong performances.
Overall, "For You I Die" is a classic film noir that offers a thrilling ride filled with suspense, romance, and moral dilemmas.
Cast
Cathy Downs as Hope Novak
Paul Langton as Johnny Coulter
Mischa Auer as Alec Shaw
Roman Bohnen as Smitty
Jane Weeks as Georgie
Marion Kerby as Maggie Dillon
Manuela Callejo as Louisa
Don Harvey as Gruber
Charles Waldron, Jr. as Jerry
Rory Mallinson as Mac
Uncredited (in order of appearance)
Tommy Noonan as hold-up man
Don Brodie as traveler at diner
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A Tense Crime Drama with Complex Characters and Film Noir Style: Borderline (1950)
The 1950s film Borderline is a crime drama directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred MacMurray, Claire Trevor, and Raymond Burr. The film follows two undercover agents who are tasked with investigating a drug trafficking ring operating along the border between Mexico and the United States. As they delve deeper into the case, they begin to question each other's motives and loyalties, leading to a dramatic conclusion. The film features classic elements of film noir, including shadowy cinematography, complex characters, and a tense, morally ambiguous plot.
Fred MacMurray as Johnny Macklin
Claire Trevor as Madeleine Haley
Raymond Burr as Pete Ritchie
José Torvay as Julio
Morris Ankrum as Mr. Lawton
Roy Roberts as Wanger
Nacho Galindo as Pablo
John Hubbard as Dave Shepard
Don Diamond as Vasquez
Borderline is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred MacMurray and Claire Trevor. It was filmed from late May to early July 1949 at Republic Studios.[2]
Plot
Pete Ritchie (Raymond Burr) runs a narcotics smuggling operation to the US from Mexico, which the Los Angeles Police Department and the US federal government have unsuccessfully tried to stop. Because of Ritchie's careful operating procedures, US authorities haven't even been able to find out the identities of his sources or customers and are desperate for a breakthrough. As a last resort, Madeleine Haley (Claire Trevor), an LAPD officer and former OSS operative, is sent undercover to Mexico to charm her way into Ritchie's confidence.
Once there, Haley manages to establish contact with Ritchie's gang, but is kidnapped by Johnny Macklin (Fred MacMurray), a federal agent posing as a hoodlum working for a rival of Ritchie's and who also steals a load of Ritchie's narcotics. Haley is unaware that he is also undercover. She joins Macklin on a smuggling trip to maintain her cover and nab Macklin and the ring, all while Ritchie is in hot pursuit.
Cast
Character names are not indicated in on-screen cast credits
Actor Role
Fred MacMurray Johnny McEvoy, posing as Johnny Macklin
Claire Trevor Madeleine Haley, posing as Gladys LaRue
Raymond Burr Pete Ritchie
Jose Torvay Miguel
Morris Ankrum Bill Whittaker
Roy Roberts Harvey Gumbin
Don Diamond Deusik
Nacho Galindo Porfirio
Pepe Hern Pablo
Grazia Narciso Porfirio's Wife
Clifton Young Suspect questioned by Whittaker
Charles Lane Peterson, customs officer
Johnny Indrisano Gumbin's henchman
Chrispin Martin Pepi, hotel clerk
Claire Trevor, Nacho Galindo and Fred MacMurray
Roy Roberts, Claire Trevor, Jose Torvay and Fred MacMurray in Borderline
Richard Irving and Claire Trevor
Production
The film was based on a story by Norman Krasna. The budget was kept down by the key creatives deferring their pay.[1]
Evaluation in film guides
Steven H. Scheuer's TV Movie Almanac & Ratings 1958 & 1959 gives Borderline a "Fair" rating of 2 stars (out of 4), summarizing its plot as "[A] policewoman is sent to get the goods on dope smugglers working from Los Angeles to Mexico" with the evaluation, "[U]ncertain melodrama wavers between seriousness and farce, is successful at neither". 35 years later, in the 1993–1994 edition, the plot was revised to "[A] policewoman goes undercover as a chorus girl to crack a ring of drug smugglers".
Leonard Maltin's TV Movies & Video Guide (1989 edition) slightly raises the rating to 2½ stars (out of 4) and concludes that "Trevor and MacMurray work well together as law enforcers each tracking down dope smugglers on Mexican border, neither knowing the other isn't a crook". By the time of the third edition (2015) of Maltin's Classic Movie Guide, the rating had been lowered to the Scheuer level of 2 and the write-up changed to "[O]dd thriller-comedy in which L.A. cop Trevor attempts to gather evidence against wily drug smuggler Burr while mixing with tough guy MacMurray in Mexico. Starts out promisingly, but soon bogs down in silliness. Burr makes a vivid villain."
See also
Public domain film
List of American films of 1950
List of films in the public domain in the United States
References
HOLLYWOOD DIGEST: New York Times 19 June 1949: X5.
"Home". aficatalog.afi.com. Retrieved Aug 9, 2022.
External links
Media related to Borderline (1950 film) at Wikimedia Commons
Borderline at IMDb
Borderline is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Borderline at AllMovie
Borderline at the TCM Movie Database
Borderline at the American Film Institute Catalog
vte
Films directed by William A. Seiter
The Kentucky Colonel (1920) Eden and Return (1921) Hearts and Masks (1921) The Foolish Age (1921) Passing Through (1921) Boy Crazy (1922) Gay and Devilish (1922) Up and at 'Em (1922) When Love Comes (1922) The Understudy (1922) The Beautiful and Damned (1922) Little Church Around the Corner (1923) Daddies (1924) His Forgotten Wife (1924) The White Sin (1924) Listen Lester (1924) The Family Secret (1924) Helen's Babies (1924) The Fast Worker (1924) The Mad Whirl (1925) Dangerous Innocence (1925) The Teaser (1925) Where Was I? (1925) What Happened to Jones (1926) Skinner's Dress Suit (1926) Rolling Home (1926) Take It from Me (1926) The Cheerful Fraud (1927) The Small Bachelor (1927) Thanks for the Buggy Ride (1928) Good Morning, Judge (1928) Waterfront (1928) Outcast (1928) Why Be Good? (1929) Smiling Irish Eyes (1929) Footlights and Fools (1929) The Love Racket (1929) Strictly Modern (1930) Back Pay (1930) The Truth About Youth (1930) Sunny (1930) Going Wild (1930) Kiss Me Again (1931) Big Business Girl (1931) Too Many Cooks (1931) Caught Plastered (1931) Way Back Home (1931) Girl Crazy (1932) Young Bride (1932) Is My Face Red? (1932) Hot Saturday (1932) Hello, Everybody! (1933) Diplomaniacs (1933) Rafter Romance (1933) Chance at Heaven (1933) Sons of the Desert (1933) Love Birds (1934) We're Rich Again (1934) The Richest Girl in the World (1934) Roberta (1935) The Daring Young Man (1935) If You Could Only Cook (1935) The Case Against Mrs. Ames (1936) The Moon's Our Home (1936) Dimples (1936) Stowaway (1936) Life Begins in College (1937) This Is My Affair (1937) Sally, Irene and Mary (1938) Room Service (1938) Thanks for Everything (1938) Susannah of the Mounties (1939) Allegheny Uprising (1939) It's a Date (1940) Hired Wife (1940) Nice Girl? (1941) Appointment for Love (1941) Broadway (1942) You Were Never Lovelier (1942) Destroyer (1943) A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) Belle of the Yukon (1944) The Affairs of Susan (1945) That Night with You (1945) Little Giant (1946) I'll Be Yours (1947) Up in Central Park (1948) One Touch of Venus (1948) Borderline (1950) Dear Brat (1951) The Lady Wants Mink (1953) Champ for a Day (1953) Make Haste to Live (1954)
Categories:
1950 filmsFilm noir1950 crime drama films1950 romantic drama filmsAmerican black-and-white films1950s English-language filmsUniversal Pictures filmsFilms directed by William A. SeiterFilms set in MexicoAmerican romantic drama filmsAmerican crime drama filmsFilms scored by Hans J. Salter1950s American films
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_(1950_film)
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Johnny Cash's chilling performance in the cult classic crime drama: Five Minutes to Live (1961)
"Five Minutes to Live" is a 1961 crime drama film directed by Bill Karn and starring Johnny Cash, Vic Tayback, and Ron Howard (in his first film role). The movie tells the story of a criminal named Johnny Cabot (played by Cash), who teams up with an accomplice (Tayback) to execute a plan to rob a wealthy family's home.
The twist, however, is that Cabot's plan involves holding the family hostage and threatening to kill them if they don't comply with his demands. As the minutes tick by and tensions rise, the family's patriarch (played by Donald Woods) must find a way to outsmart Cabot and save his loved ones before time runs out.
The film is known for its suspenseful plot, with Cash delivering a chilling and memorable performance as the ruthless criminal mastermind. It also features Ron Howard in one of his earliest roles, showcasing the talent that would later make him a Hollywood icon.
"Five Minutes to Live" has since gained a cult following for its gritty portrayal of crime and its gripping story. It remains a classic of the crime genre, and a must-see for fans of suspenseful thrillers.
Cast:
Johnny Cash as Johnny Cabot
Donald Woods as Ken Wilson
Cay Forester as Nancy Wilson
Pamela Mason as Ann Wilson
Ron Howard as Bobby Wilson
Vic Tayback as Fred Dorella
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Old Hollywood Bloopers (1947)
Post-classical cinema is the changing methods of storytelling in the New Hollywood. It has been argued that new approaches to drama and characterization played upon audience expectations acquired in the classical period: chronology may be scrambled, storylines may feature "twist endings", and lines between the antagonist and protagonist may be blurred. The roots of post-classical storytelling may be seen in film noir, in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and in Hitchcock's storyline-shattering Psycho.
The New Hollywood is the emergence of a new generation of film school-trained directors who had absorbed the techniques developed in Europe in the 1960s as a result of the French New Wave after the American Revolution; the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde marked the beginning of American cinema rebounding as well, as a new generation of films would afterwards gain success at the box offices as well.[47] Filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and William Friedkin came to produce fare that paid homage to the history of film and developed upon existing genres and techniques. Inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol's Blue Movie, the phenomenon of adult erotic films being publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope),[48] and taken seriously by critics (like Roger Ebert),[49][50] a development referred to, by Ralph Blumenthal of The New York Times, as "porno chic", and later known as the Golden Age of Porn, began, for the first time, in modern American culture.[48][51][52] According to award-winning author Toni Bentley, Radley Metzger's 1976 film The Opening of Misty Beethoven, based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (and its derivative, My Fair Lady), and due to attaining a mainstream level in storyline and sets,[53] is considered the "crown jewel" of this 'Golden Age'.[54][55]
Jack Nicholson won twice Best Actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and As Good as It Gets (1997).
At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, Charles Bronson was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film.[56] In the 1970s, the films of New Hollywood filmmakers were often both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. While the early New Hollywood films like Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider had been relatively low-budget affairs with amoral heroes and increased sexuality and violence, the enormous success enjoyed by Friedkin with The Exorcist, Spielberg with Jaws, Coppola with The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, Scorsese with Taxi Driver, Kubrick with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Polanski with Chinatown, and Lucas with American Graffiti and Star Wars, respectively helped to give rise to the modern "blockbuster", and induced studios to focus ever more heavily on trying to produce enormous hits.[57]
The increasing indulgence of these young directors did not help.[citation needed] Often, they would go overschedule, and overbudget, thus bankrupting themselves or the studio.[citation needed] The three most notable examples of this are Coppola's Apocalypse Now and One From The Heart and particularly Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, which single-handedly bankrupted United Artists. However, Apocalypse Now eventually made its money back and gained widespread recognition as a masterpiece, winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes.[58]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_States
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Old Hollywood Bloopers (1946)
The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known metonymously as Hollywood) along with some independent films, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of American cinema is classical Hollywood cinema, which developed from 1910 to 1969 and is still typical of most films made there to this day. While Frenchmen Auguste and Louis Lumière are generally credited with the birth of modern cinema,[5] American cinema soon came to be a dominant force in the emerging industry. As of 2017, it produced the third-largest number of films of any national cinema, after India and China, with more than 600 English-language films released on average every year.[6] While the national cinemas of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand also produce films in the same language, they are not part of the Hollywood system. Because of this, Hollywood has also been considered a transnational cinema,[7] and has produced multiple language versions of some titles, often in Spanish or French. Contemporary Hollywood often outsources production to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Hollywood is considered to be the oldest film industry, in the sense of being the place where the earliest film studios and production companies emerged. It is the birthplace of various genres of cinema—among them comedy, drama, action, the musical, romance, horror, science fiction, and the war epic—and has set the example for other national film industries.
During 1878, Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated the power of photography to capture motion. In 1894, the world's first commercial motion-picture exhibition was given in New York City, using Thomas Edison's kinetoscope. In the following decades, production of silent film greatly expanded, studios formed and migrated to California, and films and the stories they told became much longer. The United States produced the world's first sync-sound musical film, The Jazz Singer, in 1927,[8] and was at the forefront of sound-film development in the following decades. Since the early 20th century, the U.S. film industry has primarily been based in and around the thirty-mile zone centered in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles County, California. Director D.W. Griffith was central to the development of a film grammar. Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) is frequently cited in critics' polls as the greatest film of all time.[9]
The major film studios of Hollywood are the primary source of the most commercially successful and most ticket-selling movies in the world.[10][11] Many of Hollywood's highest-grossing movies have generated more box-office revenue and ticket sales outside the United States than films made elsewhere. The United States is a leading pioneer in motion picture engineering and technology.
History
Main article: History of cinema in the United States
1894–1907: Origins and Fort Lee
See also: Silent film
Justus D. Barnes as outlaw leader Bronco Billy Anderson in The Great Train Robbery (1903), the first western.
The first recorded instance of photographs capturing and reproducing motion was a series of photographs of a running horse by Eadweard Muybridge, which he took in Palo Alto, California, using a set of still cameras placed in a row. Muybridge's accomplishment led inventors everywhere to attempt to make similar devices. In the United States, Thomas Edison was among the first to produce such a device, the kinetoscope.[citation needed]
Harold Lloyd in the clock scene from Safety Last! (1923)
The history of cinema in the United States can trace its roots to the East Coast where, at one time, Fort Lee, New Jersey, was the motion-picture capital of America. The industry got its start at the end of the 19th century with the construction of Thomas Edison's "Black Maria", the first motion-picture studio in West Orange, New Jersey. The cities and towns on the Hudson River and Hudson Palisades offered land at costs considerably less than New York City across the river and benefited greatly as a result of the phenomenal growth of the film industry at the turn of the 20th century.[12] [13][14]
The industry began attracting both capital and an innovative workforce. In 1907, when the Kalem Company began using Fort Lee as a location for filming in the area, other filmmakers quickly followed. In 1909, a forerunner of Universal Studios, the Champion Film Company, built the first studio.[15] Others quickly followed and either built new studios or leased facilities in Fort Lee. In the 1910s and 1920s, film companies such as the Independent Moving Pictures Company, Peerless Studios, The Solax Company, Éclair Studios, Goldwyn Picture Corporation, American Méliès (Star Films), World Film Company, Biograph Studios, Fox Film Corporation, Pathé Frères, Metro Pictures Corporation, Victor Film Company, and Selznick Pictures Corporation were all making pictures in Fort Lee. Such notables as Mary Pickford got their start at Biograph Studios.[16][17][18]
In New York, the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, which was built during the silent film era, was used by the Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields. The Edison Studios were located in the Bronx. Chelsea, Manhattan, was also frequently used. Other Eastern cities, most notably Chicago and Cleveland, also served as early centers for film production.[19][20] In the West, California was already quickly emerging as a major film production center. In Colorado, Denver was home to the Art-O-Graf film company, and Walt Disney's early Laugh-O-Gram animation studio was based in Kansas City, Missouri. Picture City, Florida, was a planned site for a movie picture production center in the 1920s, but due to the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, the idea collapsed and Picture City returned to its original name of Hobe Sound. An attempt to establish a film production center in Detroit also proved unsuccessful.[21]
The film patents wars of the early 20th century helped facilitate the spread of film companies to other parts of the US, outside New York. Many filmmakers worked with equipment for which they did not own the rights to use. Therefore, filming in New York could be dangerous as it was close to Edison's company headquarters, and close to the agents who the company set out to seize cameras. By 1912, most major film companies had set up production facilities in Southern California near or in Los Angeles because of the region's favorable year-round weather.[22]
1907–1927: Rise of Hollywood
"History of Hollywood" redirects here. For the history of the Los Angeles neighborhood, see Hollywood, Los Angeles § History.
Laurel and Hardy with Lupe Vélez in Hollywood Party (1934)
The 1908 Selig Polyscope Company production of The Count of Monte Cristo directed by Francis Boggs and starring Hobart Bosworth was claimed as the first to have been filmed in Los Angeles, in 1907, with a plaque being unveiled by the city in 1957 at Dearden's flagship store on the corner of Main Street and 7th Street, to mark the filming on the site when it had been a Chinese laundry.[23] Bosworth's widow suggested the city had got the date and location wrong, and that the film was actually shot in nearby Venice, which at the time was an independent city.[24] Boggs' In the Sultan's Power for Selig Polyscope, also starring Bosworth, is considered the first film shot entirely in Los Angeles, with shooting at 7th and Olive Streets in 1909.[25][24]
In early 1910, director D. W. Griffith was sent by the Biograph Company to the west coast with his acting troupe, consisting of actors Blanche Sweet, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore and others. They started filming on a vacant lot near Georgia Street in downtown Los Angeles. While there, the company decided to explore new territories, traveling several miles north to Hollywood, a little village that was friendly and enjoyed the movie company filming there. Griffith then filmed the first movie ever shot in Hollywood, In Old California, a Biograph melodrama about California in the 19th century, when it belonged to Mexico. Griffith stayed there for months and made several films before returning to New York. Also in 1910, Selig Polyscope of Chicago established the first film studio in the Los Angeles area in Edendale[23] and the first studio in Hollywood opened in 1912.[26]: 447 After hearing about Griffith's success in Hollywood, in 1913, many movie-makers headed west to avoid the fees imposed by Thomas Edison, who owned patents on the movie-making process.[27] Nestor Studios of Bayonne, New Jersey, built the first studio in the Hollywood neighborhood in 1911.[dubious – discuss] Nestor Studios, owned by David and William Horsley, later merged with Universal Studios; and William Horsley's other company, Hollywood Film Laboratory, is now the oldest existing company in Hollywood, now called the Hollywood Digital Laboratory. California's more hospitable and cost-effective climate led to the eventual shift of virtually all filmmaking to the West Coast by the 1930s. At the time, Thomas Edison owned almost all the patents relevant to motion picture production and movie producers on the East Coast acting independently of Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company were often sued or enjoined by Edison and his agents while movie makers working on the West Coast could work independently of Edison's control.[28]
The Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard
In Los Angeles, the studios and Hollywood grew. Before World War I, films were made in several American cities, but filmmakers tended to gravitate towards southern California as the industry developed. They were attracted by the warm climate and reliable sunlight, which made it possible to film their films outdoors year-round and by the varied scenery that was available.[citation needed] War damage contributed to the decline of the then-dominant European film industry, in favor of the United States, where infrastructure was still intact.[29] The stronger early public health response to the 1918 flu epidemic by Los Angeles[30] compared to other American cities reduced the number of cases there and resulted in a faster recovery, contributing to the increasing dominance of Hollywood over New York City.[29] During the pandemic, public health officials temporarily closed movie theaters in some jurisdictions, large studios suspended production for weeks at a time, and some actors came down with the flu. This caused major financial losses and severe difficulties for small studios, but the industry as a whole more than recovered during the Roaring Twenties.[31]
There are several starting points for cinema (particularly American cinema), but it was Griffith's controversial 1915 epic The Birth of a Nation that pioneered the worldwide filming vocabulary that still dominates celluloid to this day.[citation needed]
In the early 20th century, when the medium was new, many Jewish immigrants found employment in the US film industry. They were able to make their mark in a brand-new business: the exhibition of short films in storefront theaters called nickelodeons, after their admission price of a nickel (five cents). Within a few years, ambitious men like Samuel Goldwyn, William Fox, Carl Laemmle, Adolph Zukor, Louis B. Mayer, and the Warner Brothers (Harry, Albert, Samuel, and Jack) had switched to the production side of the business. Soon they were the heads of a new kind of enterprise: the movie studio. The US had at least two female directors, producers and studio heads in these early years: Lois Weber and French-born Alice Guy-Blaché. They also set the stage for the industry's internationalism; the industry is often accused of Amerocentric provincialism.
Other moviemakers arrived from Europe after World War I: directors like Ernst Lubitsch, Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and Jean Renoir; and actors like Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, Ronald Colman, and Charles Boyer. They joined a homegrown supply of actors—lured west from the New York City stage after the introduction of sound films—to form one of the 20th century's most remarkable growth industries. At motion pictures' height of popularity in the mid-1940s, the studios were cranking out a total of about 400 movies a year, seen by an audience of 90 million Americans per week.[32]
Sound also became widely used in Hollywood in the late 1920s.[33] After The Jazz Singer, the first film with synchronized voices was successfully released as a Vitaphone talkie in 1927, Hollywood film companies would respond to Warner Bros. and begin to use Vitaphone sound—which Warner Bros. owned until 1928—in future films. By May 1928, Electrical Research Product Incorporated (ERPI), a subsidiary of the Western Electric company, gained a monopoly over film sound distribution.[32]
A side effect of the "talkies" was that many actors who had made their careers in silent films suddenly found themselves out of work, as they often had bad voices or could not remember their lines. Meanwhile, in 1922, US politician Will H. Hays left politics and formed the movie studio boss organization known as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA).[34] The organization became the Motion Picture Association of America after Hays retired in 1945.
In the early times of talkies, American studios found that their sound productions were rejected in foreign-language markets and even among speakers of other dialects of English. The synchronization technology was still too primitive for dubbing. One of the solutions was creating parallel foreign-language versions of Hollywood films. Around 1930, the American companies[which?] opened a studio in Joinville-le-Pont, France, where the same sets and wardrobe and even mass scenes were used for different time-sharing crews.
Also, foreign unemployed actors, playwrights, and winners of photogenia contests were chosen and brought to Hollywood, where they shot parallel versions of the English-language films. These parallel versions had a lower budget, were shot at night and were directed by second-line American directors who did not speak the foreign language. The Spanish-language crews included people like Luis Buñuel, Enrique Jardiel Poncela, Xavier Cugat, and Edgar Neville. The productions were not very successful in their intended markets, due to the following reasons:
Brown Derby, an icon that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The lower budgets were apparent.
Many theater actors had no previous experience in cinema.
The original movies were often second-rate themselves since studios expected that the top productions would sell by themselves.
The mix of foreign accents (Castilian, Mexican, and Chilean for example in the Spanish case) was odd for the audiences.
Some markets lacked sound-equipped theaters.
In spite of this, some productions like the Spanish version of Dracula compare favorably with the original. By the mid-1930s, synchronization had advanced enough for dubbing to become usual.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_States
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Old Hollywood Bloopers (1942)
Classical Hollywood cinema, or the Golden Age of Hollywood, is defined as a technical and narrative style characteristic of American cinema from 1913 to 1969, during which thousands of movies were issued from the Hollywood studios. The Classical style began to emerge in 1913, was accelerated in 1917 after the U.S. entered World War I, and finally solidified when the film The Jazz Singer was released in 1927, ending the silent film era and increasing box-office profits for film industry by introducing sound to feature films.
Most Hollywood pictures adhered closely to a formula – Western, Slapstick Comedy, Musical, Animated Cartoon, Biographical Film (biographical picture) – and the same creative teams often worked on films made by the same studio. For example, Cedric Gibbons and Herbert Stothart always worked on MGM films, Alfred Newman worked at 20th Century Fox for twenty years, Cecil B. De Mille's films were almost all made at Paramount, and director Henry King's films were mostly made for 20th Century Fox.
At the same time, one could usually guess which studio made which film, largely because of the actors who appeared in it; MGM, for example, claimed it had contracted "more stars than there are in heaven." Each studio had its own style and characteristic touches which made it possible to know this – a trait that rarely exist today.
For example, To Have and Have Not (1944) is notable not only for the first pairing of actors Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957) and Lauren Bacall (1924–2014), but because it was written by two future winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), the author of the novel on which the script was nominally based, and William Faulkner (1897–1962), who worked on the screen adaptation.
After The Jazz Singer was released in 1927, Warner Bros. gained huge success and were able to acquire their own string of movie theaters, after purchasing Stanley Theaters and First National Productions in 1928. In contrast Loews theaters owned MGM since forming in 1924, while the Fox Film Corporation owned the Fox Theatre. RKO (a 1928 merger between Keith-Orpheum Theaters and the Radio Corporation of America[35]) also responded to the Western Electric/ERPI monopoly over sound in films, and developed their own method, known as Photophone, to put sound in films.[32]
Paramount, which acquired Balaban and Katz in 1926, would answer to the success of Warner Bros. and RKO, and buy a number of theaters in the late 1920s as well, and would hold a monopoly on theaters in Detroit, Michigan.[36] By the 1930s, almost all of the first-run metropolitan theaters in the United States were owned by the Big Five studios—MGM, Paramount Pictures, RKO, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox.[37]
1927–1948: Rise and decline of the studio system
Hollywood movie studios, 1922
Motion picture companies operated under the studio system. The major studios kept thousands of people on salary—actors, producers, directors, writers, stunt men, crafts persons, and technicians. They owned or leased Movie Ranches in rural Southern California for location shooting of westerns and other large-scale genre films, and the major studios owned hundreds of theaters in cities and towns across the nation in 1920 film theaters that showed their films and that were always in need of fresh material.
Spencer Tracy was the first actor to win Best Actor award over two consecutive years for his roles in Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938) (and received seven other nominations).
In 1930, MPPDA President Will Hays created the Hays (Production) Code, which followed censorship guidelines and went into effect after government threats of censorship expanded by 1930.[38] However, the code was never enforced until 1934, after the Catholic watchdog organization The Legion of Decency—appalled by some of the provocative films and lurid advertising of the era later classified Pre-Code Hollywood- threatened a boycott of motion pictures if it did not go into effect.[39] The films that did not obtain a seal of approval from the Production Code Administration had to pay a $25,000 fine and could not profit in the theaters, as the MPPDA controlled every theater in the country through the Big Five studios.
Throughout the 1930s, as well as most of the golden age, MGM dominated the film screen and had the top stars in Hollywood, and they were also credited for creating the Hollywood star system altogether.[40] Some MGM stars included "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jeanette MacDonald, Gene Raymond, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, and Gene Kelly.[40] But MGM did not stand alone.
Another great achievement of US cinema during this era came through Walt Disney's animation company. In 1937, Disney created the most successful film of its time, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.[41] This distinction was promptly topped in 1939 when Selznick International created what is still, when adjusted for inflation, the most successful film of all time in Gone with the Wind.[42]
Many film historians have remarked upon the many great works of cinema that emerged from this period of highly regimented filmmaking. One reason this was possible is that, with so many movies being made, not every one had to be a big hit. A studio could gamble on a medium-budget feature with a good script and relatively unknown actors: Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles (1915–1985) and often regarded as the greatest film of all time, fits this description. In other cases, strong-willed directors like Howard Hawks (1896–1977), Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980), and Frank Capra (1897–1991) battled the studios in order to achieve their artistic visions.
The apogee of the studio system may have been the year 1939, which saw the release of such classics as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, Only Angels Have Wings, Ninotchka and Midnight. Among the other films from the Golden Age period that are now considered to be classics: Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night, the original King Kong, Mutiny on the Bounty, Top Hat, City Lights, Red River, The Lady from Shanghai, Rear Window, On the Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, Some Like It Hot, and The Manchurian Candidate.
Percentage of the US population that went to the cinema on average, weekly, 1930–2000
Walt Disney introduces each of the seven dwarfs in a scene from the original 1937 Snow White movie trailer.
The studio system and the Golden Age of Hollywood succumbed to two forces that developed in the late 1940s:
a federal antitrust action that separated the production of films from their exhibition; and
the advent of television.
In 1938, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released during a run of lackluster films from the major studios, and quickly became the highest grossing film released to that point. Embarrassingly for the studios, it was an independently produced animated film that did not feature any studio-employed stars.[43] This stoked already widespread frustration at the practice of block-booking, in which studios would only sell an entire year's schedule of films at a time to theaters and use the lock-in to cover for releases of mediocre quality.
Assistant Attorney General Thurman Arnold—a noted "trust buster" of the Roosevelt administration—took this opportunity to initiate proceedings against the eight largest Hollywood studios in July 1938 for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.[44][45] The federal suit resulted in five of the eight studios (the "Big Five": Warner Bros., MGM, Fox, RKO and Paramount) reaching a compromise with Arnold in October 1940 and signing a consent decree agreeing to, within three years:
Eliminate the block-booking of short film subjects, in an arrangement known as "one shot", or "full force" block-booking.
Eliminate the block-booking of any more than five features in their theaters.
No longer engage in blind buying (or the buying of films by theater districts without seeing films beforehand) and instead have trade-showing, in which all 31 theater districts in the US would see films every two weeks before showing movies in theaters.
Set up an administration board in each theater district to enforce these requirements.[44]
The "Little Three" (Universal Studios, United Artists, and Columbia Pictures), who did not own any theaters, refused to participate in the consent decree.[44][45] A number of independent film producers were also unhappy with the compromise and formed a union known as the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers and sued Paramount for the monopoly they still had over the Detroit Theaters—as Paramount was also gaining dominance through actors like Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, Betty Hutton, crooner Bing Crosby, Alan Ladd, and longtime actor for studio Gary Cooper too- by 1942. The Big Five studios did not meet the requirements of the Consent of Decree during WWII, without major consequence, but after the war ended they joined Paramount as defendants in the Hollywood antitrust case, as did the Little Three studios.[46]
The Supreme Court eventually ruled that the major studios ownership of theaters and film distribution was a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. As a result, the studios began to release actors and technical staff from their contracts with the studios. This changed the paradigm of film making by the major Hollywood studios, as each could have an entirely different cast and creative team.
The decision resulted in the gradual loss of the characteristics which made Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, RKO Pictures, and 20th Century Fox films immediately identifiable. Certain movie people, such as Cecil B. DeMille, either remained contract artists until the end of their careers or used the same creative teams on their films so that a DeMille film still looked like one whether it was made in 1932 or 1956.
Marlon Brando with Eva Marie Saint in the trailer for On the Waterfront (1954)
Also, the number of movies being produced annually dropped as the average budget soared, marking a major change in strategy for the industry. Studios now aimed to produce entertainment that could not be offered by television: spectacular, larger-than-life productions. Studios also began to sell portions of their theatrical film libraries to other companies to sell to television. By 1949, all major film studios had given up ownership of their theaters.
This was complemented with the 1952 Miracle Decision in the Joseph Burstyn Inc. v. Wilson case, in which the Supreme Court of the United States reversed its earlier position, from 1915's Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio case, and stated that motion pictures were a form of art and were entitled to the protection of the First amendment; US laws could no longer censor films. By 1968, with film studios becoming increasingly defiant to its censorship function, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) had replaced the Hays Code–which was now greatly violated after the government threat of censorship that justified the origin of the code had ended—with the film rating system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_States
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Too Late for Tears: A Tale of Greed and Betrayal in Classic Film Noir Style (1949)
Too Late for Tears is a film-noir thriller from 1949, directed by Byron Haskin. The movie tells the story of Jane Palmer (Lizabeth Scott) and her husband Alan (Arthur Kennedy), a married couple who accidentally receive a bag of stolen money. While Alan wants to turn the money in to the police, Jane has other ideas and decides to keep it for herself, even if it means committing murder.
As Jane becomes increasingly obsessed with the money, she begins to manipulate everyone around her, including her husband and a sleazy private detective named Danny Fuller (Dan Duryea), who initially tries to blackmail her but ends up becoming her partner in crime. As the bodies pile up and the police start to close in, Jane finds herself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where the stakes are higher than she ever imagined.
The film is notable for its strong performances, particularly by Lizabeth Scott, who delivers a chilling portrayal of a femme fatale who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The cinematography is also impressive, with moody lighting and shadowy shots that capture the dark underbelly of Los Angeles.
Overall, Too Late for Tears is a gripping and suspenseful film that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish. It's a classic example of film noir that explores the themes of greed, deception, and moral corruption in a way that still resonates with modern audiences today.
Lizabeth Scott as Jane Palmer
Don DeFore as Don Blake
Dan Duryea as Danny Fuller
Arthur Kennedy as Alan Palmer
Kristine Miller as Kathy Palmer
Barry Kelley as Lt. Breach
Morris Ankrum as The Man
David Clarke as Bill
Frank Orth as Cab Driver
Billy Halop as Al (uncredited)
Richard Rober as Executive (uncredited)
James Nolan as Eddie Harwood (uncredited)
Connie Gilchrist as Old Lady (uncredited)
260
views
Old Hollywood Bloopers (1941)
Selected international films made during the Golden Age
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, Germany)
Nosferatu (1922, Germany)
Häxan (1922, Sweden/Denmark)
Die Nibelungen (1924, Germany)
Battleship Potemkin (1925, U.S.S.R.)
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926, Germany)
Metropolis (1927, Germany)
Napoléon (1927, France)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, France)
Un Chien Andalou (1929, France/Spain)
Pandora's Box (1929, Germany)
L'Age d'Or (1930, France)
Limite (1931, Brazil)
M (1931, Germany)
Vampyr (1932, Germany/France)
Les Misérables (1934, France)
Two Monks (1934, Mexico)
L'Atalante (1934, France)
The 39 Steps (1935, U.K.)
Let's Go with Pancho Villa (1936, Mexico)
Grand Illusion (1937, France)
Terang Boelan (1937, Indonesia)
The Rules of the Game (1939, France)
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (1939, Japan)
Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940, Australia)
You're Missing the Point (1940, Mexico)
María Candelaria (1943, Mexico)
Day of Wrath (1943, Denmark)
Ivan the Terrible (1944–1958, U.S.S.R.)
Rome, Open City (1945, Italy)
Brief Encounter (1945, U.K.)
Children of Paradise (1945, France)
Paisan (1946, Italy)
A Matter of Life and Death (1946, U.K.)
Enamorada (1946, Mexico)
Shoeshine (1946, Italy)
The Overlanders (1946, Australia/U.K.)
Beauty and the Beast (1946, France)
Neecha Nagar (1946, India)
The Pearl (1947, Mexico)
Quai des Orfèvres (1947, France)
Black Narcissus (1947, U.K.)
Bicycle Thieves (1948, Italy)
Hamlet (1948, U.K.)
Drunken Angel (1948, Japan)
The Red Shoes (1948, U.K.)
Spring in a Small Town (1948, China)
Late Spring (1949, Japan)
Begone Dull Care (1949, Canada)
Stray Dog (1949, Japan)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949, U.K.)
Stromboli (1950, Italy)
Rashomon (1950, Japan)
Orpheus (1950, France)
Los Olvidados (1950, Mexico)
Genghis Khan (1950, Philippines)
Víctimas del Pecado (1951, Mexico)
Miracle in Milan (1951, Italy)
Umberto D. (1952, Italy)
Neighbours (1952, Canada)
Mexican Bus Ride (1952, Mexico)
Ikiru (1952, Japan)
Él (1953, Mexico)
Ugetsu (1953, Japan)
The Wages of Fear (1953, France)
Tokyo Story (1953, Japan)
Sansho the Bailiff (1954, Japan)
Robinson Crusoe (1954, Mexico)
Godzilla (1954, Japan)
Seven Samurai (1954, Japan)
The Crucified Lovers (1954, Japan)
Journey to Italy (1954, Italy)
La Strada (1954, Italy)
The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955, Mexico)
Ordet (1955, Denmark)
A Generation (1955, Poland)
Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia)
Les Diaboliques (1955, France)
The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959, India)
Bob le flambeur (1956, France)
A Man Escaped (1956, France)
The Burmese Harp (1956, Japan)
Floating Clouds (1955, Japan)
Kanał (1956, Poland)
Hang Tuah (1956, Malaysia/Singapore)
Pyaasa (1957, India)
The Seventh Seal (1957, Sweden)
Wild Strawberries (1957, Sweden)
The Cranes Are Flying (1957, U.S.S.R.)
A King in New York (1957, U.K.)
Mayabazaar (1957, India)
Mother India (1957, India)
The Snow Queen (1957, U.S.S.R.)
Nights of Cabiria (1957, Italy)
Cairo Station (1958, Egypt)
Thunder Among the Leaves (1958, Argentina)
Mon Oncle (1958, France)
Jalsaghar (1958, India)
Ashes and Diamonds (1958, Poland)
Madhumati (1958, India)
Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia)
The Day Shall Dawn (1959, Pakistan)
Hiroshima mon amour (1959, France)
The 400 Blows (1959, France)
Black Orpheus (1959, Brazil/France)
Room at the Top (1959, U.K.)
Fires on the Plain (1959, Japan)
Nazarín (1959, Mexico)
Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959, India)
Look Back in Anger (1959, U.K.)
The Soldiers of Pancho Villa (1959, Mexico)
Ballad of a Soldier (1959, U.S.S.R.)
Pickpocket (1959, France)
The Human Condition (1959–1961, Japan)
Breathless (1960, France)
Two Women (1960, Italy)
The Housemaid (1960, South Korea)
Sons and Lovers (1960, U.K.)
The Sundowners (1960, Australia/U.K.)
La Dolce Vita (1960, Italy)
Obaltan (1960, South Korea)
L'Avventura (1960, Italy)
Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960, India)
Mughal-e-Azam (1960, India)
La Notte (1961, Italy)
Viridiana (1961, Mexico/Spain)
Surogat (1961, Yugoslavia)
Yojimbo (1961, Japan)
Very Nice, Very Nice (1961, Canada)
A Taste of Honey (1961, U.K.)
Gunga Jumna (1961, India)
The Exterminating Angel (1962, Mexico)
L'Eclisse (1962, Italy)
Ivan's Childhood (1962, U.S.S.R.)
Jules and Jim (1962, France)
An Autumn Afternoon (1962, Japan)
Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962, France)
Sanjuro (1962, Japan)
O Pagador de Promessas (1962, Brazil)
8½ (1963, Italy/France)
Tom Jones (1963, U.K.)
This Sporting Life (1963, U.K.)
Billy Liar (1963, U.K.)
Lava Kusa (1963, India)
Mahanagar (1963, India)
Gamperaliya (1963, Sri Lanka)
Black God, White Devil (1964, Brazil)
Gertrud (1964, Denmark)
Red Desert (1964, Italy)
Charulata (1964, India)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964, Italy/West Germany/Spain)
I Am Cuba (1964, Cuba/U.S.S.R.)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, France/West Germany)
Dry Summer (1964, Turkey)
Simon of the Desert (1965, Mexico)
Pierrot le Fou (1965, France)
For a Few Dollars More (1965, Italy/West Germany/Spain)
Loves of a Blonde (1965, Czechoslovakia)
Subarnarekha (1965, India)
La muerte de un burócrata (1966, Cuba)
Persona (1966, Sweden)
Black Girl (1966, Senegal/France)
The Battle of Algiers (1966, Algeria/Italy)
Blow-Up (1966, U.K./Italy)
A Man for All Seasons (1966, U.K.)
A Man and a Woman (1966, France)
Andrei Rublev (1966, U.S.S.R.)
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966, France)
Closely Watched Trains (1966, Czechoslovakia)
War and Peace (1966–1967, U.S.S.R.)
Three Days and a Child (1967, Israel)
Le Samouraï (1967, France/Italy)
Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon (1967, U.K.)
Playtime (1967, France/Italy)
Mouchette (1967, France)
Belle de Jour (1967, France)
Entranced Earth (1967, Brazil)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Italy)
Romeo and Juliet (1968, U.K./Italy)
Mandabi (1968, Senegal/France)
Oliver! (1968, U.K.)
Memories of Underdevelopment (1968, Cuba)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968, U.K.)
Kes (1969, U.K.)
Army of Shadows (1969, France)
The Damned (1969, U.K.)
Fellini Satyricon (1969, Italy)
Z (1969, Algeria/France)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Hollywood_cinema
683
views
Old Hollywood Bloopers (1940)
The following is a chronological list of notable American films and a selected number of international films that were made during Hollywood's Golden Age.[24]
Silent era
The Mothering Heart (film short, 1913)
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Intolerance (1916)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917)
The Immigrant (1917)
The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917)
Wild and Woolly (1917)
Broken Blossoms (1919)
Pollyanna (1920)
The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
Within Our Gates (1920)
Way Down East (1920)
Orphans of the Storm (1921)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
The Kid (1921)
A Woman of Paris (1923)
The Covered Wagon (1923)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
Safety Last! (1923)
Greed (1924)
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
The Big Parade (1925)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Little Annie Rooney (1925)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Flesh and the Devil (1926)
Sparrows (1926)
The Black Pirate (1926)
The Canadian (1926)
The General (1926)
7th Heaven (1927)
It (1927)
The Unknown (1927)
Wings (1927)
The Circus (1928)
The Wind (1928)
City Lights (1931)
Tabu (1931)
Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1935)
Modern Times (1936)
Sound era
A Few Moments with Eddie Cantor (1923)
My Old Kentucky Home (1926)
The Jazz Singer (1927)
Lights of New York (1928)
Interference (1928)
In Old Arizona (1928)
Steamboat Willie (1928)[25]
The Broadway Melody (1929)
On with the Show! (1929)
A Free Soul (1930)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Anna Christie (1930)
Morocco (1930)[26]
King of Jazz (1930)[26]
Romance (1930)
The Divorcee (1930)
Bad Girl (1931)
Blonde Crazy (1931)
Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
Platinum Blonde (1931)
The Public Enemy (1931)
A Farewell to Arms (1932)
Flowers and Trees (1932)
Forbidden (1932)
Freaks (1932)
Grand Hotel (1932)
Red Dust (1932)
Scarface (1932)
Shanghai Express (1932)[26]
The Animal Kingdom (1932)
Trouble in Paradise (1932)[26]
She Done Him Wrong (1933)
42nd Street (1933)
Baby Face (1933)
Design for Living (1933)[26]
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Duck Soup (1933)
Flying Down to Rio (1933)
Footlight Parade (1933)
The Invisible Man (1933)
King Kong (1933)
Lady for a Day (1933)
Man's Castle (1933)
Queen Christina (1933)
Snow-White (1933)
Sons of the Desert (1933)
Broadway Bill (1934)
Imitation of Life (1934)
It Happened One Night (1934)[26]
Manhattan Melodrama (1934)
No Greater Glory (1934)
Of Human Bondage (1934)
Poor Cinderella (1934)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
The Old Fashioned Way (1934)
The Thin Man (1934)
Twentieth Century (1934)
Woman Haters (1934)[27]
Wonder Bar (1934)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
A Night at the Opera (1935)
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Anna Karenina (1935)
The Band Concert (1935)
Becky Sharp (1935)
Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
Top Hat (1935)
Disorder in the Court (1936)
Camille (1936)
Follow the Fleet (1936)
Libeled Lady (1936)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
My Man Godfrey (1936)[26]
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936)
San Francisco (1936)
Swing Time (1936)[26]
Theodora Goes Wild (1936)
The Awful Truth (1937)[26]
Captains Courageous (1937)
Easy Living (1937)
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1937)
Heidi (1937)
Lost Horizon (1937)
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)[26]
Marked Woman (1937)
Nothing Sacred (1937)
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
Shall We Dance (1937)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)[25]
Stage Door (1937)
A Star Is Born (1937)
Stella Dallas (1937)
True Confession (1937)
Varsity Show (1937)
Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Algiers (1938)
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
A Yank at Oxford (1938)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Holiday (1938)[26]
Jezebel (1938)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Pygmalion (1938)
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
5th Avenue Girl (1939)
Babes in Arms (1939)
Beau Geste (1939)
Dark Victory (1939)
Destry Rides Again (1939)[26]
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
Gulliver's Travels (1939)
Gunga Din (1939)
Love Affair (1939)[28]
Midnight (1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Ninotchka (1939)
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)[26]
Stagecoach (1939)[26]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
The Little Princess (1939)
The Oklahoma Kid (1939)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Women (1939)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)[26]
All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)[26]
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Great Dictator (1940)
His Girl Friday (1940)[26]
Kitty Foyle (1940)
The Letter (1940)
The Long Voyage Home (1940)
The Mortal Storm (1940)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)[26]
Pinocchio (1940)
Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Primrose Path (1940)
Rebecca (1940)[26]
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Waterloo Bridge (1940)
49th Parallel (1941)
Ball of Fire (1941)
Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Dumbo (1941)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
High Sierra (1941)
Hold Back the Dawn (1941)
How Green Was My Valley (1941)
The Little Foxes (1941)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Meet John Doe (1941)
Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
One Foot in Heaven (1941)
Penny Serenade (1941)
Sergeant York (1941)
Sullivan's Travels (1941)[26]
Suspicion (1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
The Lady Eve (1941)[26]
You'll Never Get Rich (1942)
Tulips Shall Grow (1942)
All Through the Night (1942)
Bambi (1942)
Casablanca (1942)
Holiday Inn (1942)
Kings Row (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)[26]
Now, Voyager (1942)[26]
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
The Palm Beach Story (1942)[26]
The Pied Piper (1942)
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Random Harvest (1942)
Saboteur (1942)
The Talk of the Town (1942)
Tortilla Flat (1942)
Wake Island (1942)
Woman of the Year (1942)[26]
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Heaven Can Wait (1943)[26]
The Human Comedy (1943)
Journey into Fear (1943)
Madame Curie (1943)
The More the Merrier (1943)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Stormy Weather (1943)
Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Cover Girl (1944)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Gaslight (1944)
Going My Way (1944)
Henry V (1944)
Laura (1944)
Lifeboat (1944)
The Lodger (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
National Velvet (1944)
The Barber of Seville (1944)
Since You Went Away (1944)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
The Uninvited (1944)[26]
Wilson (1944)
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
Detour (1945)[29]
Hangover Square (1945)
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Mildred Pierce (1945)[26]
Spellbound (1945)
Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
John Henry and the Inky-Poo (1946)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Cluny Brown (1946)[26]
Duel in the Sun (1946)
Gilda (1946)[26]
Great Expectations (1946)
Humoresque (1946)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Killers (1946)[26]
The Locket (1946)
Notorious (1946)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
The Razor's Edge (1946)
The Yearling (1946)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
The Cat Concerto (1947)
Crossfire (1947)
Dead Reckoning (1947)
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
The Paradine Case (1947)
Tubby the Tuba (1947)
Easter Parade (1948)
Fort Apache (1948)
Johnny Belinda (1948)
Key Largo (1948)
Moonrise (1948)[26]
Red River (1948)[26]
Unfaithfully Yours (1948)[26]
Rope (1948)
The Snake Pit (1948)
State of the Union (1948)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Adam's Rib (1949)
All the King's Men (1949)
Battleground (1949)
The Heiress (1949)[26]
Intruder in the Dust (1949)
A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
The Third Man (1949)
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
All About Eve (1950)[26]
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Born Yesterday (1950)
Caged (1950)
Cinderella (1950)
Father of the Bride (1950)
In a Lonely Place (1950)[26]
King Solomon's Mines (1950)
Rio Grande (1950)
Summer Stock (1950)
The Furies (1950)[26]
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Treasure Island (1950)
Ace in the Hole (1951)[26]
The African Queen (1951)
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
An American in Paris (1951)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Decision Before Dawn (1951)
A Place in the Sun (1951)
Quo Vadis (1951)
Rooty Toot Toot (1951)
Royal Wedding (1951)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
High Noon (1952)
Ivanhoe (1952)
Limelight (1952)
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
Monkey Business (1952)
Moulin Rouge (1952)
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952)
Don't Bother To Knock (1952)
Calamity Jane (1953)
The Band Wagon (1953)
The Big Heat (1953)
Duck Amuck (1953)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Julius Caesar (1953)
Mogambo (1953)
Peter Pan (1953)
The Robe (1953)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Shane (1953)
The Sword and the Rose (1953)
The War of the Worlds (1953)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
A Star Is Born (1954)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
The Country Girl (1954)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
On the Waterfront (1954)[26]
Rear Window (1954)
Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954)
Sabrina (1954)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
Vera Cruz (1954)
When Magoo Flew (1954)
Blackboard Jungle (1955)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Marty (1955)
Mister Roberts (1955)
Picnic (1955)
East of Eden (1955)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Guys and Dolls (1955)
Richard III (1955)
The Rose Tattoo (1955)
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Autumn Leaves (1956)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Bigger Than Life (1956)[26][30]
Friendly Persuasion (1956)
Giant (1956)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The King and I (1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Searchers (1956)
The Swan (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
War and Peace (1956)
12 Angry Men (1957)[26]
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Paths of Glory (1957)[26]
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)[26]
A Face in the Crowd (1957)
Peyton Place (1957)
Sayonara (1957)
What's Opera, Doc? (1957)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Auntie Mame (1958)
The Big Country (1958)
The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
The Defiant Ones (1958)
Gigi (1958)
The Long, Hot Summer (1958)
No Time for Sergeants (1958)
Separate Tables (1958)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Vertigo (1958)
A Hole in the Head (1959)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)[26]
Ben-Hur (1959)
Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
Imitation of Life (1959)
North by Northwest (1959)
Pillow Talk (1959)
The Nun's Story (1959)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Some Like It Hot (1959)[26]
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
The Last Angry Man (1959)
The Time Machine (1960)
The Alamo (1960)
The Apartment (1960)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Hell to Eternity (1960)
Home from the Hill (1960)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Psycho (1960)
Spartacus (1960)
The Sundowners (1960)
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
The Children's Hour (1961)
Fanny (1961)
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Hustler (1961)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
Splendor in the Grass (1961)
The Parent Trap (1961)
West Side Story (1961)
King of Kings (1961)
The Misfits (1961)
Dr. No (1962)
Gay Purr-ee (1962)
Hell Is for Heroes (1962)
How the West Was Won (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Longest Day (1962)
The Music Man (1962)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Gypsy (1962)
America America (1963)
The Birds (1963)
Charade (1963)
Cleopatra (1963)
The Great Escape (1963)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Irma la Douce (1963)
Move Over, Darling (1963)
Hud (1963)
McLintock! (1963)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Becket (1964)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Goldfinger (1964)
Sex and the Single Girl (1964)
Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)
Mary Poppins (1964)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Zorba the Greek (1964)
Send Me No Flowers (1964)
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Hollywood_cinema
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views
Shock: Classic Film Noir Murder Mystery with Vincent Price (1946)
"Shock" is a 1946 American film noir directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Vincent Price, Lynn Bari, and Frank Latimore. The film tells the story of a war veteran, Dr. Richard Cross (Frank Latimore), who returns home to find that his wife, Elaine (Anabel Shaw), has been involved in a car accident and is now suffering from amnesia. Dr. Cross, who has a dark past and a history of mental illness, becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation when a dead body is found in his office.
Vincent Price plays Dr. Cross's psychiatrist, Dr. Bruckner, who tries to help his patient remember what happened on the night of the murder. Meanwhile, Lynn Bari plays Nurse Charlotte, who becomes romantically involved with Dr. Cross and helps him to clear his name.
The film features classic film noir elements such as flashbacks, a suspenseful plot, and a dark and moody atmosphere. It received mixed reviews upon its release but is now considered a cult classic of the genre.
Cast:
Vincent Price as Dr. Richard Cross's psychiatrist, Dr. Bruckner
Lynn Bari as Nurse Charlotte
Frank Latimore as Dr. Richard Cross
Anabel Shaw as Elaine Jordan Cross
Stephen Dunne as Lt. Paul Stewart
Reed Hadley as Dr. Stevens
Renee Carson as Mrs. Hatfield
Shock is a 1946 American film noir directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Vincent Price, Lynn Bari and Frank Latimore.[3]
Plot
A young woman named Janet Stewart is anticipating the arrival of her husband and attempts to check into a hotel. They are meeting after years apart and have planned to meet at the hotel. During his military service he was presumed dead, but was a prisoner of war. Unfortunately, her cable requesting the reservation never arrived. The staff, after hearing her story, agree to provide a room for the night. Restless, she isn't sleeping. She hears a loud argument and goes to the balcony window where she witnesses a man striking his wife with a candlestick. The woman is killed.
The next morning, her husband arrives and attempts to surprise Janet. Instead, he discovers her sitting on the couch, staring into space. She has gone into a state of shock as a result of seeing the murder. The hotel doctor is called, but he suggests she see a specialist.
The specialist that she sees turns out to be Dr. Cross, the man who murdered his wife.
Cast
Vincent Price as Dr. Richard Cross
Lynn Bari as Elaine Jordan
Frank Latimore as Lt. Paul Stewart
Anabel Shaw as Janet Stewart
Stephen Dunne as Dr. Stevens (as Michael Dunne)[4]
Reed Hadley as O'Neill
Renee Carson as Mrs. Hatfield
Ruth Nelson As Mrs. Margaret Cross (Uncredited)[4]
Charles Trowbridge as Dr. Franklin Harvey
Production
The film was originally to be directed by Henry Hathaway.[1]
Reception
Above and beyond the typical characteristics of the horror film genre, reviewer Bosley Crowther of The New York Times took particular offense to the film's treatment of psychiatry. Coming in the wake of World War II, in which so many people had suffered shock and could benefit from treatment of their anxieties, Crowther asked the "critical observer to protest in no uncertain tones" the movie's "social disservice" in its fostering "apprehension against the treatment of nervous disorders", deploring the lack of consideration for those in need of treatment evidenced by producer Aubrey Schenck and distributor Twentieth Century-Fox.[5] Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times took no such offense, calling the film a "nominal 'B' feature", which screenplay author "Eugene Ling and Director Alfred Werker have imbued... with a grade-A suspense".[6] Jonathan Malcolm Lampley wrote in Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price that his role in this film "foreshadows the mad doctors and scientists Price would frequently portray in his later career".[7]
See also
List of films in the public domain in the United States[8][9][10]
References
Tom Weaver, It Came from Horrorwood: Interviews with Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Tradition McFarland, 2000 p 271
Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History Rowman & Littlefield, 2002 p 221
Shock at the American Film Institute Catalog.
"Hollywood Production ... Pictures Now Shooting". The Hollywood Reporter. October 26, 1945. p. 15. ProQuest 2320745572. "Cast: Vincent Price, Lynn Bari, Marjorie Henshaw, Frank Latimore, Michael Dunne, Ruth Nelson, Rene Carson, Roy Roberts, John Davidson."
Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen; Bad Medicine", The New York Times, March 9, 1946. Accessed July 2, 2009.
Scheuer, Philip K. "'Shock' Joins Procession of 'Psychos'", Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1946. Accessed July 2, 2009.
Lampley, Jonathan Malcolm (2010). Women in the Horror Films of Vincent Price. McFarland & Company. p. 17. ISBN 9780786457496.
Shock (1946) [Film Noir] [Thriller]. Timeless Classic Movies. March 17, 2013. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via YouTube.
Shock (1946). Tinsel RoadTV. February 20, 2012. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via YouTube.
Shock 1946 Vincent Price, Film Noir, Thriller. old films. October 7, 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via YouTube.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Shock (1946 film).
Shock at the American Film Institute Catalog
Shock at IMDb
Shock at AllMovie
Shock at the TCM Movie Database
Shock is available for free download at the Internet Archive
vte
Films directed by Alfred L. Werker
The Pioneer Scout (1928) The Sunset Legion (1928) Kit Carson (1928) Chasing Through Europe (1929) Blue Skies (1929) Double Cross Roads (1930) The Last of the Duanes (1930) Annabelle's Affairs (1931) Fair Warning (1931) Heartbreak (1931) The Gay Caballero (1932) Rackety Rax (1932) Hello, Sister! (1933) Advice to the Lovelorn (1933) It's Great to Be Alive (1933) Gallant Lady (1934) The House of Rothschild (1934) You Belong to Me (1934) Stolen Harmony (1935) Love in Exile (1936) Wild and Woolly (1937) Big Town Girl (1937) We Have Our Moments (1937) City Girl (1938) Kidnapped (1938) Gateway (1938) Up the River (1938) It Could Happen to You (1939) News Is Made at Night (1939) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) The Reluctant Dragon (1941) Moon Over Her Shoulder (1941) The Mad Martindales (1942) A-Haunting We Will Go (1942) Whispering Ghosts (1942) My Pal Wolf (1944) Shock (1946) Repeat Performance (1947) Pirates of Monterey (1947) He Walked by Night (1948) Lost Boundaries (1949) Sealed Cargo (1951) Walk East on Beacon (1952) The Last Posse (1953) Devil's Canyon (1953) Three Hours to Kill (1954) At Gunpoint (1955) Canyon Crossroads (1955) Rebel in Town (1956) The Young Don't Cry (1957)
Categories:
1946 films1940s psychological thriller films20th Century Fox filmsAmerican black-and-white filmsAmerican thriller filmsFilm noirFilms directed by Alfred L. WerkerFilms scored by David ButtolphFilms set in psychiatric hospitalsUxoricide in fiction1940s English-language films1940s American films
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_(1946_film)
1.2K
views
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comments
Old Hollywood Bloopers (1939)
Spectacular epics which took advantage of new widescreen processes had been increasingly popular from the 1950s onwards. The 1980s and 1990s saw another significant development. The full acceptance of home video by studios opened a vast new business to exploit. Films which may have performed poorly in their theatrical run were now able to find success in the video market. It also saw the first generation of filmmakers with access to videotapes emerge. Directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson had been able to view thousands of films and produced films with vast numbers of references and connections to previous works. Tarantino has had a number of collaborations with director Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2 million against a budget of $7,000.
This, along with the explosion of independent film and ever-decreasing costs for filmmaking, changed the landscape of American movie-making once again and led a renaissance of filmmaking among Hollywood's lower and middle-classes—those without access to studio financial resources. With the rise of the DVD in the 21st century, DVDs have quickly become even more profitable to studios and have led to an explosion of packaging extra scenes, extended versions, and commentary tracks with the films.
In the US, the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984 to accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and R, which was mainly due to the controversies surrounding the violent content of the PG films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins (both 1984).[59]
1988's Die Hard established what would become a common formula for many 1990s action films, featuring a lone everyman against a colorful terrorist character, who's usually holding hostages, in an isolated setting. Such films and their sequels are often referred to as "Die Hard on a _____": Under Siege (battleship), Cliffhanger (mountain), Speed (bus), The Rock (prison island), Con Air (prison plane), Air Force One (presidential plane), etc.
Film makers in the 1990 had access to technological, political and economic innovations that had not been available in previous decades. Dick Tracy (1990) became the first 35 mm feature film with a digital soundtrack. Batman Returns (1992) was the first film to make use of the Dolby Digital six-channel stereo sound that has since become the industry standard. Computer-generated imagery was greatly facilitated when it became possible to transfer film images into a computer and manipulate them digitally. The possibilities became apparent in director James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), in images of the shape-changing character T-1000. Computer graphics or CG advanced to a point where Jurassic Park (1993) was able to use the techniques to create realistic looking animals. Jackpot (2001) became the first film that was shot entirely in digital.[60] In the film Titanic, Cameron wanted to push the boundary of special effects with his film, and enlisted Digital Domain and Pacific Data Images to continue the developments in digital technology which the director pioneered while working on The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Many previous films about the RMS Titanic shot water in slow motion, which did not look wholly convincing.[61] Cameron encouraged his crew to shoot their 45-foot-long (14 m) miniature of the ship as if "we're making a commercial for the White Star Line".
American film industry (1995–2017)
All values in billions Year Tickets Revenue
1995 1.22 $5.31
1996 1.31 $5.79
1997 1.39 $6.36
1998 1.44 $6.77
1999 1.44 $7.34
2000 1.40 $7.54
2001 1.48 $8.36
2002 1.58 $9.16
2003 1.52 $9.20
2004 1.50 $9.29
2005 1.37 $8.80
2006 1.40 $9.16
2007 1.42 $9.77
2008 1.36 $9.75
2009 1.42 $10.64
2010 1.33 $10.48
2011 1.28 $10.17
2012 1.40 $11.16
2013 1.34 $10.89
2014 1.26 $10.27
2015 1.32 $11.16
2016 1.30 $11.26
2017 1.23 $10.99
As compiled by The Numbers[62]
Even The Blair Witch Project (1999), a low-budget indie horror film by Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, was a huge financial success. Filmed on a budget of just $35,000, without any big stars or special effects, the film grossed $248 million with the use of modern marketing techniques and online promotion. Though not on the scale of George Lucas's $1 billion prequel to the Star Wars Trilogy, The Blair Witch Project earned the distinction of being the most profitable film of all time, in terms of percentage gross.[60]
The success of Blair Witch as an indie project remains among the few exceptions, however, and control of The Big Five studios over film making continued to increase through the 1990s. The Big Six companies all enjoyed a period of expansion in the 1990s. They each developed different ways to adjust to rising costs in the film industry, especially the rising salaries of movie stars, driven by powerful agents. The biggest stars like Sylvester Stallone, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts received between $15-$20 million per film and in some cases were even given a share of the film's profits.[60]
Screenwriters on the other hand were generally paid less than the top actors or directors, usually under $1 million per film. However, the single largest factor driving rising costs was special effects. By 1999 the average cost of a blockbuster film was $60 million before marketing and promotion, which cost another $80 million.[60] Since then, American films have become increasingly divided into two categories: Blockbusters and independent films.
Studios supplement these movies with independent productions, made with small budgets and often independently of the studio corporation. Movies made in this manner typically emphasize high professional quality in terms of acting, directing, screenwriting, and other elements associated with production, and also upon creativity and innovation.[citation needed] These movies usually rely upon critical praise or niche marketing to garner an audience. Because of an independent film's low budget, a successful independent film can have a high profit-to-cost ratio while a failure will incur minimal losses, allowing for studios to sponsor dozens[citation needed] of such productions in addition to their high-stakes releases.
American independent cinema was revitalized[citation needed] in the late 1980s and early 1990s when another new generation of moviemakers, including Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino made movies like, respectively: Do the Right Thing, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Clerks and Reservoir Dogs. In terms of directing, screenwriting, editing, and other elements, these movies were innovative and often irreverent, playing with and contradicting the conventions of Hollywood movies. Furthermore, their considerable financial successes and crossover into popular culture reestablished the commercial viability of independent film. Since then, the independent film industry has become more clearly defined and more influential in American cinema. Many of the major studios have capitalised on this by developing subsidiaries to produce similar films; for example, Fox Searchlight Pictures.
By this time, Harvey Weinstein was a Hollywood power player, commissioning critically acclaimed film such as Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting, and the Academy Award-winning The English Patient. Under TWC Weinstein had released almost an unbroken chain of successful films. Best Picture winners The Artist and The King's Speech were released under Weinstein's commission.
Hollywood Boulevard from the Dolby Theatre, before 2006
The decade of the 2000s involved many significant developments in the film industries around the world, especially in the technology used. Building on developments in the 1990s, computers were used to create effects that would have previously been more expensive, from the subtle erasing of surrounding islands in Cast Away (leaving Tom Hanks' character stranded with no other land in sight) to the vast battle scenes such as those in The Matrix sequels and 300.[citation needed]
The 2000s saw the resurgence of several genres. Fantasy film franchises dominated the box office with The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Star Wars prequel trilogy (beginning in 1999), The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. Comic book superhero films became a mainstream blockbuster genre following the releases of Blade, X-Men, Unbreakable, and Spider-Man. Gladiator similarly sparked the revival of epic films, while the Bollywood-inspired Moulin Rouge! did the same for musical films. Computer animation replaced traditional animation as the dominant medium for animated feature films in American cinema. Although Hollywood still produces some films for the family audience, particularly animations, the vast majority of films are principally designed for young adult audiences.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_States
345
views
Lady Gangster: A Tale of Crime and Redemption in 1940s America (1942)
"Lady Gangster" is a classic crime film from 1942 directed by Robert Florey. The movie tells the story of a young woman named Dorothy "Dot" Burton (played by Faye Emerson) who is wrongfully accused of a crime and sent to prison. While there, she is taken under the wing of a tough older woman inmate named "Biggie" (played by Julie Bishop), who teaches her the ways of the criminal underworld.
After her release from prison, Dot is determined to start a new life but finds it difficult to leave her criminal past behind. She is pressured by her former criminal associates to return to her old ways and she eventually becomes embroiled in a scheme to rob a wealthy socialite's home. However, things take an unexpected turn and Dot finds herself on the run from the law.
"Lady Gangster" is a gripping and suspenseful film that explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and the price of a life of crime. The performances by the cast, particularly Faye Emerson and Julie Bishop, are exceptional, and the film's moody and atmospheric cinematography adds to its overall impact. Overall, "Lady Gangster" is a must-see for fans of classic crime films.
Faye Emerson as Dorothy "Dot" Burton
Julie Bishop as Biggie
Frank Wilcox as J. Carlyle Beekman
Roland Drew as Fred Garrett
Jackie Gleason as Lefty
Ruth Ford as Ruth Wescott
Iris Adrian as Toots
Gwen Kenyon as Aggie
Herbert Rawlinson as Warden Lang
Janet Shaw as Pat
Virginia Brissac as Mrs. Tilton
Billy Nelson as Benny
Harry Lewis as Dude
Louise Lorimer as Mrs. Burton (Dot's mother)
Jonathan Hale as Mr. Burton (Dot's father)
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Dishonored Lady: A Gripping Film Noir Drama Starring Hedy Lamarr (1947)
"Dishonored Lady" is a dramatic film released in 1947 and directed by Robert Stevenson. The film tells the story of Madeleine Damien (played by Hedy Lamarr), a successful New York City magazine editor who is struggling with inner demons and a troubled past.
Madeleine is tired of her fast-paced, high-pressure job and decides to leave her career behind in search of a new life. She moves to a small town and changes her identity, hoping to start over and leave her troubled past behind. However, she soon finds herself in a new web of complications and emotional turmoil.
As the story unfolds, Madeleine is caught up in a murder trial and becomes the prime suspect. She must fight to clear her name and prove her innocence, while also confronting her past and the personal demons that have haunted her for years.
The film features a strong performance by Hedy Lamarr, who brings depth and complexity to her portrayal of Madeleine. The supporting cast includes Dennis O'Keefe as the district attorney who becomes romantically involved with Madeleine, and John Loder as her former lover who re-enters her life.
Overall, "Dishonored Lady" is a gripping and thought-provoking film that explores themes of identity, redemption, and personal responsibility. It remains a classic of the film noir genre and is a must-see for fans of classic Hollywood cinema.
Here is the cast list for the film "Dishonored Lady" (1947):
Hedy Lamarr as Madeleine Damien
Dennis O'Keefe as David Cousins
John Loder as Felix Courtland
William Lundigan as Jack Garet
Morris Carnovsky as Dr. Richard Caleb
Natalie Schafer as Ethel Royce
Paul Harvey as Victor Kranish
Ivan Triesault as Dr. Fromm
Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Geiger
Douglass Dumbrille as Mr. Geiger
Henry O'Neill as Mr. Stevenson
William 'Billy' Benedict as Freddie (uncredited)
James Flavin as Detective (uncredited)
Dishonored Lady (also known as Sins of Madeleine) is a 1947 American crime film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Hedy Lamarr, Dennis O'Keefe and John Loder. It is based on the 1930 play Dishonored Lady by Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes. Lamarr and Loder were married when they made the film, but they divorced later in 1947.[2]
The film was released by United Artists in the United States on May 16, 1947.
Plot
Madeleine Damien is the fashion editor of a slick Manhattan magazine called Boulevard. Men are attracted to her, including boss Victor Kranish, wealthy advertiser Felix Courtland and former assistant, Jack Garet, who now works for Courtland and is blackmailing her about events from her past.
Madeleine attempts suicide and is headed toward a breakdown. She crashes her car near the home of psychiatrist Dr. Richard Caleb, who discovers her unconscious and cares for her. With Dr. Caleb's help, she realizes that she has been running away from herself just as her father may have done before he committed suicide. Under stress by her job's demands, she suddenly quits her job and disappears from the fashion scene. Under another name, she moves into a smaller apartment where she returns to painting, her earlier love. She meets her neighbor, handsome medical researcher David Cousins, who needs someone to draw the cells that he studies under the microscope. They work together closely, resulting in an excellent paper that David is invited to present at a conference. He proposes marriage, but Madeleine is hesitant because she has never told David about her troubled love life.
Madeleine's previous colleagues and Courtland learn what has become of her. Courtland surprises her at her apartment, but she rejects him. When David is away, a colleague from Boulevard contacts her for technical advice, but Madeleine wants nothing to do with the magazine. However, she consents to meet her colleague at a nightclub, and her former boss and assistant appear to meet her as well. She drinks too much and soon finds herself at Courtland's mansion by default. Courtland kisses her, but is interrupted when Garet appears. Garet had stolen a precious stone from Courtland, and he wants to try to dissuade Courtland from informing the police. Courtland refuses and noisily ejects Garet out. When Madeleine awakens, she realizes that she can leave Courtland and slips away through the rain. Garet returns and kills Courtland by bludgeoning him with a table cigarette lighter just as Courtland is calling the police.
The next day, David returns early from his conference. Madeleine learns of the murder from the newspaper and realizes that she is in trouble, but the police soon arrive to arrest her. Madeleine's false identity becomes known, and David is aghast to hear of Madeleine's past, refusing to marry her.
Madeleine is charged with the murder. During her trial, she seems catatonic, completely uninterested in the proceedings and refusing counsel. David takes the witness stand and is asked if he still loves her, and he replies affirmatively. Following this, Madeleine becomes a cooperating witness. Courtland's home safe and the theft are discovered, and David suspects that Garet may be hiding something. David confronts Garet and subdues him in a fight. Garet is arrested and confesses to the murder, and Madeleine is declared innocent.
Madeleine leaves David a letter explaining that she can not marry him until she is sure that she can really be the person whom he had believed her to be. While Madeleine is at the airport waiting for a plane, Dr. Caleb advises her that she is making a mistake by fleeing. David arrives just in time to grab Madeleine on the tarmac, and the plane departs without her as the two embrace.
Cast
Hedy Lamarr as Madeleine Damien
Dennis O'Keefe as Dr. David Cousins
John Loder as Felix Courtland
William Lundigan as Jack Garet
Morris Carnovsky as Dr. Richard Caleb
Natalie Schafer as Ethel Royce
Paul Cavanagh as Victor Kranish
Douglas Dumbrille as District Attorney O'Brien
Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Geiger
Dewey Robinson as Jim (uncredited)
Production
Production was scheduled to begin no later than January 1945. However, problems with the Motion Picture Production Code caused a delay. The Hays Office insisted that two love affairs in the script, one in Mexico and the other in New York, might be "overloading" the picture, and also objected to the "night of sordid passion." A memo dated April 25, 1946 stated that, despite revisions, the script was unacceptable because of its gratuitous sex and references to Madeleine's unsavory family secrets. In the final film, references to Madeleine's parents were omitted completely. A character named Moreno and an affair in Mexico City were excised, and the "night of sordid passion" was not shown. All suggestions that Madeleine was a murderer, or had even contemplated murder, were also removed from the film. In the final script submitted to the Hays Office, Madeleine takes a trip hoping that the time will come when she can be with David; the reunion at the film's closing was added later.
The film was in production from early May to late July 1946 at California Studios. The sets were designed by art director Nicolai Remisoff.
The film exceeded its budget by $1.2 million and was a failure at the box office.[3]
See also
List of films in the public domain in the United States
References
"Indies $70,000,000 Pix Output". Variety: 18. 3 November 1944. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
"Dishonored Lady (1947) - Robert Stevenson | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
Balio, Tino (2009). United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-0-299-23004-3. p203
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dishonored Lady (film).
Dishonored Lady at IMDb
Dishonored Lady at Rotten Tomatoes
Dishonored Lady is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Dishonored Lady at the TCM Movie Database
Dishonored Lady at AllMovie
Dishonored Lady at the American Film Institute Catalog
vte
Films directed by Robert Stevenson
Happy Ever After (1932) Falling for You (1933) Tudor Rose (1936) The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936) Jack of All Trades (1936) King Solomon's Mines (1937) Non-Stop New York (1937) Owd Bob (1938) The Ware Case (1938) Young Man's Fancy (1939) Return to Yesterday (1940) Tom Brown's School Days (1940) Back Street (1941) Joan of Paris (1942) Forever and a Day (1943) Jane Eyre (1943) Dishonored Lady (1947) To the Ends of the Earth (1948) The Woman on Pier 13 (1949) Walk Softly, Stranger (1950) My Forbidden Past (1951) The Las Vegas Story (1952) Johnny Tremain (1957) Old Yeller (1957) Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) Kidnapped (1960) The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) In Search of the Castaways (1962) Son of Flubber (1963) The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) Mary Poppins (1964) The Monkey's Uncle (1965) That Darn Cat! (1965) The Gnome-Mobile (1967) Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) The Love Bug (1968) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) Herbie Rides Again (1974) The Island at the Top of the World (1974) One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) The Shaggy D.A. (1976)
Categories:
1947 filmsAmerican crime drama filmsAmerican films based on playsFilms based on works by Edward SheldonFilms directed by Robert StevensonFilms scored by Carmen DragonUnited Artists films1947 crime drama filmsAmerican black-and-white films1940s American films1940s English-language films
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonored_Lady
Hedy Lamarr (/ˈhɛdi/; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914[a] – January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born Austro-Hungarian-American film actress and inventor.[2] She was a film star during Hollywood's golden age.[3]
After a brief early film career in Czechoslovakia, including the controversial Ecstasy (1933), she fled from her first husband, a wealthy Austrian ammunition manufacturer, and secretly moved to Paris. Traveling to London, she met Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood. She became a film star with her performance in Algiers (1938).[4] Her MGM films include Lady of the Tropics (1939), Boom Town (1940), H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), and White Cargo (1942). Her greatest success was as Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille's Bible-inspired Samson and Delilah (1949).[5] She also acted on television before the release of her final film, The Female Animal (1958). She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
At the beginning of World War II, she and avant-garde composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes that used spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to defeat the threat of jamming by the Axis powers.[6]
Early life
Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna, the only child of Gertrud "Trude" Kiesler (née Lichtwitz) and Emil Kiesler.
Her father, Emil, was born to a Galician-Jewish family in Lemberg in the Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Lviv in Ukraine) and was, in the 1920s, deputy director of Wiener Bankverein,[7][8] and in the end of his life a director at the united Creditanstalt-Bankverein.[9][10][11] Trude, her mother, a pianist and Budapest native, had come from an upper-class Hungarian-Jewish family. She had converted to Catholicism and was described as a "practicing Christian" who raised her daughter as a Christian, although Hedy was not formally baptized at the time.[9]: 8
As a child, Lamarr showed an interest in acting and was fascinated by theatre and film. At the age of 12, she won a beauty contest in Vienna.[12] She also began to associate invention with her father, who would take her out on walks, explaining how technology functioned.[13][14]
European film career
Early work
Lamarr was taking acting classes in Vienna when one day, she forged a note from her mother and went to Sascha-Film and was able to get herself hired as a script girl. While there, she was able to get a role as an extra in Money on the Street (1930), and then a small speaking part in Storm in a Water Glass (1931). Producer Max Reinhardt then cast her in a play entitled The Weaker Sex, which was performed at the Theater in der Josefstadt. Reinhardt was so impressed with her that he brought her with him back to Berlin.[15]
However, she never actually trained with Reinhardt or appeared in any of his Berlin productions. Instead, she met the Russian theatre producer Alexis Granowsky, who cast her in his film directorial debut, The Trunks of Mr. O.F. (1931), starring Walter Abel and Peter Lorre.[16] Granowsky soon moved to Paris, but Lamarr stayed in Berlin and was given the lead role in No Money Needed (1932), a comedy directed by Carl Boese.[17] Lamarr then starred in the film which made her internationally famous.
Ecstasy
Lamarr in a 1934 publicity photo with the name "Heddie Kietzler"
In early 1933, at age 18, Lamarr was given the lead in Gustav Machatý's film Ecstasy (Ekstase in German, Extase in Czech). She played the neglected young wife of an indifferent older man.
The film became both celebrated and notorious for showing Lamarr's face in the throes of orgasm as well as close-up and brief nude scenes. Lamarr claimed she was "duped" by the director and producer, who used high-power telephoto lenses, but other people related to the movie contested her claims.[18][b][19]
Although she was dismayed and now disillusioned about taking other roles, the film gained world recognition after winning an award at the Venice Film Festival.[20] Throughout Europe, it was regarded an artistic work. In America it was considered overly sexual and received negative publicity, especially among women's groups.[18] It was banned there and in Germany.[21]
Withdrawal
Lamarr played a number of stage roles, including a starring one in Sissy, a play about Empress Elisabeth of Austria produced in Vienna. It won accolades from critics.[22] Admirers sent roses to her dressing room and tried to get backstage to meet her. She sent most of them away, including a man who was more insistent, Friedrich Mandl.[18] He became obsessed with getting to know her.[23]
Mandl was an Austrian military arms merchant and munitions manufacturer who was reputedly the third-richest man in Austria. She fell for his charming and fascinating personality, partly due to his immense financial wealth.[21] Her parents, both of Jewish descent, did not approve, due to Mandl's ties to Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, and later, German Führer Adolf Hitler, but they could not stop the headstrong Lamarr.[18]
On August 10, 1933, Lamarr married Mandl at the Karlskirche. She was 18 years old and he was 33. In her alleged autobiography Ecstasy and Me, she described Mandl as an extremely controlling husband who strongly objected to her simulated orgasm scene in Ecstasy and prevented her from pursuing her acting career. She claimed she was kept a virtual prisoner in their castle home,[21] Schloss Schwarzenau.[citation needed]
Hedy Lamarr, 1944
Mandl had close social and business ties to the Italian government, selling munitions to the country,[9] and although like Hedy, his own father was Jewish, had ties to the Nazi regime of Germany, as well. Lamarr wrote that the dictators of both countries attended lavish parties at the Mandl home. Lamarr accompanied Mandl to business meetings, where he conferred with scientists and other professionals involved in military technology. These conferences were her introduction to the field of applied science and nurtured her latent talent in science.[24]
Lamarr's marriage to Mandl eventually became unbearable, and she decided to separate herself from both her husband and country in 1937. In her alleged autobiography, she wrote that she disguised herself as her maid and fled to Paris, but by other accounts, she persuaded Mandl to let her wear all of her jewelry for a dinner party, then disappeared afterward.[25] She writes about her marriage:
I knew very soon that I could never be an actress while I was his wife. ... He was the absolute monarch in his marriage. ... I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded—and imprisoned—having no mind, no life of its own.[26]
Hollywood career
Louis B. Mayer and MGM
Sigrid Gurie (left) and Hedy Lamarr (right) were Charles Boyer's leading ladies in Algiers (1938)
After arriving in London[27] in 1937, she met Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, who was scouting for talent in Europe.[28] She initially turned down the offer he made her (of $125 a week), but then booked herself onto the same New York bound liner as him, and managed to impress him enough to secure a $500 a week contract. Mayer persuaded her to change her name to Hedy Lamarr (to distance herself from her real identity, and "the Ecstasy lady" reputation associated with it)[25], choosing the surname in homage to the beautiful silent film star, Barbara La Marr, on the suggestion of his wife, who admired La Marr. He brought her to Hollywood in 1938 and began promoting her as the "world's most beautiful woman".[29]
Mayer loaned Lamarr to producer Walter Wanger, who was making Algiers (1938), an American version of the French film, Pépé le Moko (1937). Lamarr was cast in the lead opposite Charles Boyer. The film created a "national sensation", says Shearer.[9]: 77 She was billed as an unknown but well-publicized Austrian actress, which created anticipation in audiences. Mayer hoped she would become another Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich.[9]: 77 According to one viewer, when her face first appeared on the screen, "everyone gasped ... Lamarr's beauty literally took one's breath away."[9]: 2
In future Hollywood films, she was invariably typecast as the archetypal glamorous seductress of exotic origin. Her second American film was to be I Take This Woman, co-starring with Spencer Tracy under the direction of regular Dietrich collaborator Josef von Sternberg. Von Sternberg was fired during the shoot, replaced by Frank Borzage. The film was put on hold, and Lamarr was put into Lady of the Tropics (1939), where she played a mixed-race seductress in Saigon opposite Robert Taylor. She returned to I Take This Woman, re-shot by W. S. Van Dyke. The resulting film was a flop.
Clark Gable and Lamarr in Comrade X (1940)
Far more popular was Boom Town (1940) with Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert and Spencer Tracy; it made $5 million.[30] MGM promptly reteamed Lamarr and Gable in Comrade X (1940), a comedy film in the vein of Ninotchka (1939), which was another hit.
Lamarr was teamed with James Stewart in Come Live with Me (1941), playing a Viennese refugee. Stewart was also in Ziegfeld Girl (1941), where Lamarr, Judy Garland and Lana Turner played aspiring showgirls - a big success.[30]
Lamarr was top-billed in H. M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), although the film's protagonist was the title role played by Robert Young. She made a third film with Tracy, Tortilla Flat (1942). It was successful at the box office, as was Crossroads (1942) with William Powell.
Lamarr played the exotic Arab seductress[31] Tondelayo in White Cargo (1942), top billed over Walter Pidgeon. It was a huge hit. White Cargo contains arguably her most memorable film quote, delivered with provocative invitation: "I am Tondelayo. I make tiffin for you?" This line typifies many of Lamarr's roles, which emphasized her beauty and sensuality while giving her relatively few lines. The lack of acting challenges bored Lamarr. She reportedly took up inventing to relieve her boredom.[32]
She was reunited with Powell in a comedy The Heavenly Body (1944), then was borrowed by Warner Bros for The Conspirators (1944). This was an attempt to repeat the success of Casablanca (1943), and RKO borrowed her for a melodrama Experiment Perilous (1944).
Lamarr in Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945)
Back at MGM Lamarr was teamed with Robert Walker in the romantic comedy Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945), playing a princess who falls in love with a New Yorker. It was very popular, but would be the last film she made under her MGM contract.[33]
Her off-screen life and personality during those years was quite different from her screen image. She spent much of her time feeling lonely and homesick. She might swim at her agent's pool, but shunned the beaches and staring crowds. When asked for an autograph, she wondered why anyone would want it. Writer Howard Sharpe interviewed her and gave his impression:
Hedy has the most incredible personal sophistication. She knows the peculiarly European art of being womanly; she knows what men want in a beautiful woman, what attracts them, and she forces herself to be these things. She has magnetism with warmth, something that neither Dietrich nor Garbo has managed to achieve.[18]
Author Richard Rhodes describes her assimilation into American culture:
Of all the European émigrés who escaped Nazi Germany and Nazi Austria, she was one of the very few who succeeded in moving to another culture and becoming a full-fledged star herself. There were so very few who could make the transition linguistically or culturally. She really was a resourceful human being–I think because of her father's strong influence on her as a child.[34]
Lamarr also had a penchant for speaking about herself in the third person.[35]
Wartime fundraiser
Lamarr wanted to join the National Inventors Council, but was reportedly told by NIC member Charles F. Kettering and others that she could better help the war effort by using her celebrity status to sell war bonds.[36][37]
She participated in a war bond-selling campaign with a sailor named Eddie Rhodes. Rhodes was in the crowd at each Lamarr appearance, and she would call him up on stage. She would briefly flirt with him before asking the audience if she should give him a kiss. The crowd would say yes, to which Hedy would reply that she would if enough people bought war bonds. After enough bonds were purchased, she would kiss Rhodes and he would head back into the audience. Then they would head off to the next war bond rally.[38]
Producer
Victor Mature and Lamarr in Samson and Delilah (1949)
After leaving MGM in 1945, Lamarr formed a production company with Jack Chertok and made the thriller The Strange Woman (1946). It went over budget and only made minor profits.[39]
She and Chertok then made Dishonored Lady (1947), another thriller starring Lamarr, which also went over budget - but was not a commercial success. She tried a comedy with Robert Cummings, Let's Live a Little (1948).
Later films
Lamarr enjoyed her biggest success playing Delilah against Victor Mature as the Biblical strongman in Cecil B. DeMille's Samson and Delilah, the highest-grossing film of 1950. The film also won two Oscars.[21]
Lamarr returned to MGM for a film noir with John Hodiak, A Lady Without Passport (1950), which flopped. More popular were two pictures she made at Paramount, a Western with Ray Milland, Copper Canyon (1950), and a Bob Hope spy spoof, My Favorite Spy (1951).
With John Hodiak in A Lady Without Passport (1950)
Her career went into decline. She went to Italy to play multiple roles in Loves of Three Queens (1954), which she also produced. However she lacked the experience necessary to make a success of such an epic production, and lost millions of dollars when she was unable to secure distribution of the picture.
She was Joan of Arc in Irwin Allen's critically panned epic, The Story of Mankind (1957) and did episodes of Zane Grey Theatre ("Proud Woman") and Shower of Stars ("Cloak and Dagger"). Her last film was a thriller The Female Animal (1958).
Lamarr was signed to act in the 1966 film Picture Mommy Dead,[40] but was let go when she collapsed during filming from nervous exhaustion.[41] She was replaced in the role of Jessica Flagmore Shelley by Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Inventor
Further information: Frequency-hopping spread spectrum
System-search.svg
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Although Lamarr had no formal training and was primarily self-taught, she tinkered in her spare time on various hobbies and ideas, which included a traffic stoplight and a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a carbonated drink. The beverage was unsuccessful; Lamarr herself said it tasted like Alka-Seltzer.[32]
Copy of U.S. patent for "Secret Communication System"
During World War II, Lamarr read that radio-controlled torpedoes[42] had been proposed. However, an enemy might be able to jam such a torpedo's guidance system and set it off course.[43] When discussing this with her friend the composer and pianist George Antheil, the idea was raised that a frequency-hopping signal might prevent the torpedo's radio guidance system from being tracked or jammed. Antheil succeeded by synchronizing a miniaturized player piano mechanism with radio signals.[34] Antheil sketched out the idea for the frequency-hopping system, which was to use a perforated paper tape which actuated pneumatic controls (as was already used in player pianos).
Antheil was introduced to Samuel Stuart Mackeown, a professor of radio-electrical engineering at Caltech, whom Lamarr then employed for a year to actually implement the idea.[44] Lamarr hired the Los Angeles legal firm of Lyon & Lyon to search for prior knowledge, and to craft the application[45] for the patent[46][47] which was granted as U.S. Patent 2,292,387 on August 11, 1942, under her married name Hedy Kiesler Markey.[48] In 1997, Lamarr and Antheil received the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award and the Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Bronze Award,[49] given to individuals whose creative lifetime achievements in the arts, sciences, business, or invention fields have significantly contributed to society.[50] In 2014, Lamarr and Antheil were posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[51]
Neither the US Navy nor that of any other nation were using radio-controlled torpedoes at the time, and electro-mechanical devices were soon to be made obsolete by purely electronic controls.[52] Furthermore, spread-spectrum frequency-hopping was not a completely new idea: as early as 1899, Guglielmo Marconi had experimented with frequency-selective reception in an attempt to minimize radio interference;[53] it in the first quarter of the 20th century, Nikola Tesla had written extensively about; in 1929, the Polish engineer and inventor Leonard Danilewicz further elaborated on the idea; and, in 1932, U.S. Patent 1869659A was issued to the Dutch inventor William Broertjes[54] for his electromechanical device to encrypt radio transmissions by using frequency-hopping.
Although the U.S. Navy did not adopt the technology until the 1960s,[55] the principles of their work are incorporated into Bluetooth and GPS technology and are similar to methods used in legacy versions of CDMA and Wi-Fi.[56][57][58][dubious – discuss]
Later years
Lamarr became a naturalized citizen of the United States at age 38 on April 10, 1953. Her alleged autobiography, Ecstasy and Me, was published in 1966. She said on TV that it was not written by her, and much of it was fictional.[59] Lamarr later sued the publisher, saying that many details were fabricated by its ghost writer, Leo Guild.[60][61] Lamarr, in turn, was sued by Gene Ringgold, who asserted that the book plagiarized material from an article he had written in 1965 for Screen Facts magazine.[62]
In the late 1950s, Lamarr designed and, with then-husband W. Howard Lee, developed the Villa LaMarr ski resort in Aspen, Colorado.[63][64]
In 1966, Lamarr was arrested in Los Angeles for shoplifting. The charges were eventually dropped. In 1991, she was arrested on the same charge in Florida, this time for stealing $21.48 worth of laxatives and eye drops.[65] She pleaded no contest to avoid a court appearance, and the charges were dropped in return for her promise to refrain from breaking any laws for a year.[66]
The 1970s was a decade of increasing seclusion for Lamarr. She was offered several scripts, television commercials, and stage projects, but none piqued her interest. In 1974, she filed a $10 million lawsuit against Warner Bros., claiming that the running parody of her name ("Hedley Lamarr") in the Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles infringed her right to privacy. Brooks said he was flattered; the studio settled out of court for an undisclosed nominal sum and an apology to Lamarr for "almost using her name". Brooks said that Lamarr "never got the joke".[67][68] With her eyesight failing, Lamarr retreated from public life and settled in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1981.[9]
A large Corel-drawn image of Lamarr won CorelDRAW's yearly software suite cover design contest in 1996. For several years, beginning in 1997, it was featured on boxes of the software suite. Lamarr sued the company for using her image without her permission. Corel countered that she did not own rights to the image. The parties reached an undisclosed settlement in 1998.[69][70]
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Lamarr has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6247 Hollywood Blvd[71][72] adjacent to Vine Street where the walk is centered.
Lamarr became estranged from her older son, James Lamarr Loder, when he was 12 years old. Their relationship ended abruptly, and he moved in with another family. They did not speak again for almost 50 years. Lamarr left James Loder out of her will, and he sued for control of the US$3.3 million estate left by Lamarr in 2000.[73] He eventually settled for US$50,000.[74]
Seclusion
In the last decades of her life, the telephone became Lamarr's only means of communication with the outside world, even with her children and close friends. She often talked up to six or seven hours a day on the phone, but she spent hardly any time with anyone in person in her final years.
Death
Memorial to Hedy Lamarr at Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 33G, Thumb n°80)
Lamarr died in Casselberry, Florida,[75] on January 19, 2000, of heart disease, aged 85.[9] Her son Anthony Loder spread her ashes in Austria's Vienna Woods in accordance with her last wishes.[76]
In 2014 a memorial to Lamarr was unveiled in Vienna's Central Cemetery.[77]
Awards and tributes
Hedy Lamarr was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.[78]
In 1939, Lamarr was selected the "most promising new actress" of 1938 in a poll of area voters conducted by Philadelphia Record film critic.[79] British moviegoers voted Hedy Lamarr the year's 10th best actress, for her performance in Samson and Delilah in 1951.[80]
The British drag queen Foo Foo Lamarr (born Francis Pearson, 1937–2003) originally took his surname from the actress when embarking on a performing career.[81]
In 1997, Lamarr and George Antheil were jointly honored with the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Pioneer Award[82] and Lamarr also was the first woman to receive the Invention Convention's BULBIE Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, known as the "Oscars of inventing".[83][84] The following year, Lamarr's native Austria awarded her the Viktor Kaplan Medal of the Austrian Association of Patent Holders and Inventors.[85]
In 2006, the Hedy-Lamarr-Weg was founded in Vienna Meidling (12th District), named after the actress.
In 2013, the IQOQI installed a quantum telescope on the roof of the University of Vienna, which they named after her in 2014.[86]
In 2014, Lamarr was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology.[87] The same year, Anthony Loder's request that the remaining ashes of his mother should be buried in an honorary grave of the city of Vienna was realized. On November 7, her urn was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery in Group 33 G, Tomb No. 80, not far from the centrally located presidential tomb.[88][89]
On November 9, 2015, Google honored her on the 101st anniversary of her birth with a doodle.[90]
On August 27, 2019, an asteroid was named after her: 32730 Lamarr.[91][92]
Marriages and children
Lamarr was married and divorced six times and had three children:
Friedrich Mandl (married 1933–1937), chairman of the Hirtenberger Patronen-Fabrik[93]
Gene Markey (married 1939–1941), screenwriter and producer. She adopted a child during her marriage with Markey. Lamarr and Markey lived at 2727 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills, California during their marriage.[94]
John Loder (married 1943–1947), actor. The two had a daughter who married Larry Colton, a writer and former baseball player and a son who worked for illustrator James McMullan.[95] Anthony Loder was featured in the 2004 documentary film Calling Hedy Lamarr.[76]
Ernest "Ted" Stauffer (married 1951–1952), nightclub owner, restaurateur, and former bandleader
W. Howard Lee (married 1953–1960), a Texas oilman (who later married film actress Gene Tierney)
Lewis J. Boies (married 1963–1965), Lamarr's divorce lawyer
Following her sixth and final divorce in 1965, Lamarr remained unmarried for the last 35 years of her life.
Throughout her life, Lamarr claimed that her first son was not biologically related and adopted during her marriage to Gene Markey.[96] However, years later, her son found documentation that he was the out-of-wedlock son of Lamarr and actor John Loder, whom she later married as her third husband.[97][98]
Filmography
Source: Hedy Lamarr at the TCM Movie Database Edit this at Wikidata
Year Title Role Notes
1930 Money on the Street Young Girl Original title: Geld auf der Straße
1931 Storm in a Water Glass Secretary Original title: Sturm im Wasserglas
The Trunks of Mr. O.F. Helene Original title: Die Koffer des Herrn O.F.
1932 No Money Needed Käthe Brandt Original title: Man braucht kein Geld
1933 Ecstasy Eva Hermann Original title: Ekstase
1938 Algiers Gaby
1939 Lady of the Tropics Manon deVargnes Carey
1940 I Take This Woman Georgi Gragore Decker
Boom Town Karen Vanmeer
Comrade X Golubka/ Theodore Yahupitz/ Lizvanetchka "Lizzie"
1941 Come Live With Me Johnny Jones
Ziegfeld Girl Sandra Kolter
H.M. Pulham, Esq. Marvin Myles Ransome
1942 Tortilla Flat Dolores Ramirez
Crossroads Lucienne Talbot
White Cargo Tondelayo
1944 The Heavenly Body Vicky Whitley
The Conspirators Irene Von Mohr
Experiment Perilous Allida Bederaux
1945 Her Highness and the Bellboy Princess Veronica
1946 The Strange Woman Jenny Hager and Producer
1947 Dishonored Lady Madeleine Damien and Producer
1948 Let's Live a Little Dr. J.O. Loring and Producer
1949 Samson and Delilah Delilah Her first film in Technicolor
1950 A Lady Without Passport Marianne Lorress
Copper Canyon Lisa Roselle
1951 My Favorite Spy Lily Dalbray
1954 Loves of Three Queens Helen of Troy,
Joséphine de Beauharnais,
Genevieve of Brabant Original title: L'amante di Paride
1957 The Story of Mankind Joan of Arc
1958 The Female Animal Vanessa Windsor
Radio appearances
Broadcast Date Series Episode
July 7, 1941 Lux Radio Theatre Algiers[99]
December 29, 1941 Lux Radio Theatre The Bride Came C.O.D.[99]
May 14, 1942 Command Performance (radio series) Edward G Robinson Hedy Lamarr Glenn Miller[100]
October 5, 1942 Lux Radio Theatre Love Crazy[99]
August 2, 1943 The Screen Guild Theatre Come Live with Me[101]
September 26, 1942 The Chase and Sanborn Hour Hedy Lamarr[102]
October 26, 1943 Burns and Allen Hedy Lamarr[103]
January 24, 1944 Lux Radio Theatre Casablanca[99]
February 4, 1945 The Radio Hall of Fame Experiment Perilous[104]
November 19, 1951 Lux Radio Theatre Samson and Delilah[99]
In popular culture
The Mel Brooks 1974 western parody Blazing Saddles features a villain named "Hedley Lamarr". As a running gag, various characters mistakenly refer to him as "Hedy Lamarr" prompting him to testily reply "That's Hedley."
In the 1982 off-Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors and subsequent film adaptation (1986), Audrey II says to Seymour in the song "Feed Me", that he can get Seymour anything he wants including "A date with Hedy Lamarr."[105]
In the 2004 video game Half-Life 2, Dr. Kleiner's pet headcrab, Lamarr, is named after Hedy Lamarr.[106]
In 2008, an off-Broadway play, Frequency Hopping, features the lives of Lamarr and Antheil. The play was written and staged by Elyse Singer, and the script won a prize for best new play about science and technology from STAGE.[9][107]
In the 2009 mockumentary The Chronoscope,[108] written and directed by Andrew Legge, the fictional Irish scientist Charlotte Keppel is likely modeled after Hedy Lamarr. The film satirizes the extreme politics of the 1930s and tells the story of a fictionalized fascist group that steals a device invented by Keppel. This chronoscope can see the past and is used by the group to create propaganda films of their heroes from the past.
In 2010, Lamarr was selected out of 150 IT people to be featured in a short film launched by the British Computer Society on May 20.[109]
Also during 2010, the New York Public Library exhibit Thirty Years of Photography at the New York Public Library included a photo of a topless Lamarr (c. 1930) by Austrian-born American photographer Trude Fleischmann.[110]
In 2011, the story of Lamarr's frequency-hopping spread spectrum invention was explored in an episode of the Science Channel show Dark Matters: Twisted But True, a series that explores the darker side of scientific discovery and experimentation, which premiered on September 7.[111] Her work in improving wireless security was part of the premiere episode of the Discovery Channel show How We Invented the World.[112]
Also during 2011, Anne Hathaway revealed that she had learned that the original Catwoman was based on Lamarr, so she studied all of Lamarr's films and incorporated some of her breathing techniques into her portrayal of Catwoman in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.[113]
In 2015, on November 9, the 101st anniversary of Lamarr's birth, Google paid tribute to Hedy Lamarr's work in film and her contributions to scientific advancement with an animated Google Doodle.[114]
In 2016, Lamarr was depicted in an off-Broadway play, HEDY! The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, a one-woman show written and performed by Heather Massie.[115][116]
Also in 2016, the off-Broadway, one-actor show Stand Still and Look Stupid: The Life Story of Hedy Lamarr, starring Emily Ebertz and written by Mike Broemmel, went into production.[117][118]
Also during 2016, Whitney Frost, a character in the TV show Agent Carter was inspired by Hedy Lamarr and Lauren Bacall.[119]
In 2017, actress Celia Massingham portrayed Lamarr on The CW television series Legends of Tomorrow in the sixth episode of the third season, titled "Helen Hunt". The episode is set in 1937 Hollywoodland. The episode aired on November 14, 2017.[120]
Also during 2017, a documentary about Lamarr's career as an actress and later as an inventor, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary was written and directed by Alexandra Dean and produced by Susan Sarandon;[121][34] it was released in theaters on November 24, 2017, and aired on PBS American Masters in May 2018.
In 2018, actress Alyssa Sutherland portrayed Lamarr on the NBC television series Timeless in the third episode of the second season, titled "Hollywoodland". The episode aired March 25, 2018.[122]
In 2019, actor and musician Johnny Depp composed a song called "This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr" with Tommy Henriksen. It was included on Depp and Jeff Beck's 2022 album 18.[123]
In 2021, Lamarr was mentioned in the first episode of the Marvel's What If...?.[124] The episode aired on August 11, 2021.
See also
flagAustria portalflagCalifornia portalFilm portalBiography portal
Inventors' Day
List of Austrians
Notes
According to Lamarr biographer Stephen Michael Shearer (pp. 8, 339), she was born in 1914, not 1913.
When Lamarr applied for the role, she had little experience nor understood the planned filming. Anxious for the job, she signed the contract without reading it. When, during an outdoor scene, the director told her to disrobe, she protested and threatened to quit, but he said that if she refused, she would have to pay for the cost of all the scenes already filmed. To calm her, he said they were using "long shots" in any case, and no intimate details would be visible. At the preview in Prague, sitting next to the director, when she saw the numerous close-ups produced with telephoto lenses, she screamed at him for tricking her. She left the theater in tears, worried about her parents' reaction and that it might have ruined her budding career. However, the cinematographer of the film claimed that she was aware during filming that there would be nude scenes and did not raise concerns during filming.[18]
References
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Sterling, Christopher H. (2008). Military Communications: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century. ISBN 9781851097326.
Severo, Richard (January 20, 2000). "Hedy Lamarr, Sultry Star Who Reigned in Hollywood of 30s and 40s, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
Haskell, Molly (December 10, 2010). "European Exotic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
"Movie Legend Hedy Lamarr to be Given Special Award at EFF's Sixth Annual Pioneer Awards" (Press release). Electronic Frontier Foundation. March 11, 1997. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
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Shearer, Stephen Michael (2010). Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 978-0-312-55098-1.
Loacker, Armin (2001). Ekstase (in German). Filmarchiv Austria. ISBN 978-3-901932-10-6.
Shearer, Stephen Michael (2010). Beautiful : the life of Hedy Lamarr (1st ed.). New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-55098-1. OCLC 471817029.
Barton 2010, pp. 12–13.
Dean, Alexandra (director), Bombshell : the Hedy Lamarr story, circa 7m05s–8.00 minutes in, retrieved November 15, 2021
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"Czech Film Series 2009–2010 – Gustav Machatý:Ecstasy" (PDF). Russian & East European Institute, Indiana University. September 2, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
Morandini, Laura; Morandini, Luisa; Morandini, Morando (2009). Il Morandini 2010: dizionario dei film [The Morandini 2010 Dictionary of Films] (in Italian). Bologna: Zanichelli. p. 493. ISBN 978-88-08-20183-6. OCLC 475597884.
Extraordinary Women: Hedy Lamarr, documentary, 2011
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Rhodes, Richard. Hedy's Folly (New York: Doubleday, 2011): 28-29
"Hedy Lamarr's Great Escape". Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
Donnelley, Paul. Fade to Black: 1500 Movie Obituaries, Omnibus Press (2010), p. 639.
Katz, Ephraim. The Film Encyclopedia, 3rd ed. HarperPerennial (1998), p. 780.
The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
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"'Most Beautiful Woman' By Day, Inventor By Night". NPR. November 22, 2011. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
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"Bombshell: Interview with Richard Rhodes on Hedy Lamarr" Archived April 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Sloan Science and Film, April 18, 2017.
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Scholtz, Robert A. (May 1982). "The Origins of Spread-Spectrum Communications". IEEE Transactions on Communications. 30 (5): 822. Bibcode:1982ITCom..30..822S. doi:10.1109/tcom.1982.1095547.
Price, Robert (January 1983). "Further Notes and Anecdotes on Spread-Spectrum Origins". IEEE Transactions on Communications. 31 (1): 85. doi:10.1109/tcom.1983.1095725.
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Cafe, Kirt Blattenberger RF. "Radio Motor-Torpedoes, April 1944 Radio-Craft". Rfcafe.com.
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Kahn, David (January 17, 2014). How I Discovered World War II's Greatest Spy and Other Stories of Intelligence and Code. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-4665-6199-1.
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Craddock, Ashley (March 11, 1997). "Privacy Implications of Hedy Lamarr's Idea". Wired. Condé Nast Digital. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
"Hedy Lamarr Inventor" (PDF). The New York Times. October 1, 1941. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
Hedy Lamarr, 1969 TV Interview Archived October 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine on The Merv Griffin Show with Woody Allen, 1969
"Hedy Lamarr Loses Fight to Stop Autobiography". The Tuscaloosa News. September 27, 1966. p. 12 – via Google Newspapers.
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Hedy Lamarr in 1950s Aspen, The Aspen Times Weekly (March 22, 2012)
Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film (2010), pg. 194
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Salamone, Debbie (October 24, 1991). "Hedy Lamarr Won't Face Theft Charges If She Stays In Line" Archived March 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Orlando Sentinel; retrieved June 10, 2010.
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"Hedy Lamarr Sues Corel". April 7, 1998. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
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Moore, Roger (January 20, 2000). "Hedy Lamar: 1913-2000". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
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"Memorial to Hollywood pin-up". thelocal.at. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
"Hedy Lamarr". Hollywood Walk of Fame. October 25, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
"Philly's Best". Boxoffice: 30-C. January 7, 1939.
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"1940's Film Goddess Hedy Lamarr Responsible For Pioneering Spread Spectrum". INVENTION CONVENTION ® - Gateway to the World of Inventing. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
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Peterson, Barbara Bennett (April 2001), "Lamarr, Hedy", American National Biography
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Presse-Service (November 7, 2014). "Archivmeldung: Hedy Lamarr erhält Ehrengrab der Stadt Wien". Presseservice der Stadt Wien (in German). Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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To Tell The Truth - Hedy Lamarr + Anthony Loder + Denise Loder Deluca. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014 – via YouTube.
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Further reading
Barton, Ruth (2010). Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press. ISBN 978-0-8131-3654-7.
Benedict, Marie (2019). The Only Woman in the Room. Source Books Landmark. ISBN 978-1492666899.
Lamarr, Hedy (1966). Ecstasy and Me: My Life as a Woman. New York: Bartholomew House. ASIN B0007DMMN8.
Rhodes, Richard (2012). Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-307-74295-7.
Shearer, Stephen Michael (2010). Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-55098-1.
Young, Christopher (1979). The Films of Hedy Lamarr. New York: Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-0579-4.
External links
Hedy Lamarr
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Hedy Lamarr at IMDb
Hedy Lamarr at the TCM Movie Database Edit this at Wikidata
Official website
Hedy Lamarr Foundation website
Hedy Lamarr profile at the National Inventors Hall of Fame
US Patent 2292387, owned by Hedy Kiesler Markey AKA Hedy Lamarr on Google Patents
US Patent 2292387 on WIPO Pantentscope
Profile, women-inventors.com
Hedy Lamarr at Reel Classics
Happy 100th Birthday Hedy Lamarr, Movie Star who Paved the Way for Wifi at CNet
"Most Beautiful Woman" by Day, Inventor by Night at NPR
Hedy Lamarr at Inventions
Hedy Lamarr: Q&A with Author Patrick Agan, Andre Soares, Alt Film Guide, c. 2013
Hedy at a Hundred Archived December 5, 2014, at the Wayback Machine – the centenary of Lamarr's birth, in the Ames Tribune, November 2014
"The unlikely life of inventor and Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr" (article and audio excerpts), Alex McClintock and Sharon Carleton, Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, July 14, 2014
Episode 6: Hedy Lamarr from Babes of Science podcasts
Hedy Lamarr before she came to Hollywood and Hedy Lamarr – brains, beauty and bad judgment at aenigma
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Old Hollywood Bloopers (1938)
Classical Hollywood cinema is a term used in film criticism to describe both a narrative and visual style of filmmaking which first developed in the 1910s to 1920s, during the latter years of the silent film era. It then became characteristic of American cinema during the Golden Age of Hollywood, between roughly 1927 (with the advent of sound film) and the mid 1960s.[4] It eventually became the most powerful and pervasive style of filmmaking worldwide.[5]
Similar or associated terms include classical Hollywood narrative, the Golden Age of Hollywood, Old Hollywood, and classical continuity.[6] The period is also referred to as the studio era, which may also include films of the late silent era.[4]
History
1910s–1927: Silent era and emergence of the Classical style
For centuries, the only visual standard of narrative storytelling art was the theatre. Since the first narrative films in the mid-late 1890s, filmmakers have sought to capture the power of live theatre on the cinema screen. Most of these filmmakers started as directors on the late 19th-century stage, and likewise most film actors had roots in vaudeville (e.g. The Marx Brothers[7]) or theatrical melodramas. Visually, early narrative films had adapted little from the stage, and their narratives had adapted very little from vaudeville and melodrama. Before the visual style which would become known as "classical continuity", scenes were filmed in full shot and used carefully choreographed staging to portray plot and character relationships. Editing technique was extremely limited, and mostly consisted of close-ups of writing on objects for their legibility.
Still from The Mothering Heart (1913)
Though lacking the reality inherent to the stage, film (unlike the stage) offers the freedom to manipulate apparent time and space, and thus create the illusion of realism – that is temporal linearity and spatial continuity. By the early 1910s, when the Lost Generation was coming of age, filmmaking was beginning to fulfill its artistic potential. In Sweden and Denmark, this period would later be known as the "Golden Age" of the film; in America, this artistic change is attributed to filmmakers like D. W. Griffith finally breaking the grip of the Edison Trust to make films independent of the manufacturing monopoly. Films worldwide began to noticeably adopt visual and narrative elements which would be found in classical Hollywood cinema. 1913 was a particularly fruitful year for the medium, as pioneering directors from several countries produced films such as The Mothering Heart (D. W. Griffith), Ingeborg Holm (Victor Sjöström), and L'enfant de Paris (Léonce Perret) that set new standards for the film as a form of storytelling. It was also the year when Yevgeni Bauer (the first true film artist, according to Georges Sadoul[8]) started his short, but prolific, career.[9]
Theatrical release poster for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
In the world generally and America specifically, the influence of Griffith on filmmaking was unmatched. Equally influential were his actors in adapting their performances to the new medium. Lillian Gish, the star of The Mothering Heart, is particularly noted for her influence on on-screen performance techniques. Griffith's 1915 epic The Birth of a Nation was ground-breaking for film as a means of storytelling – a masterpiece of literary narrative with numerous innovative visual techniques.[10] The film initiated so many advances in American cinema that it was rendered obsolete within a few years.[11] Though 1913 was a global landmark for filmmaking, 1917 was primarily an American one; the era of "classical Hollywood cinema" is distinguished by a narrative and visual style which began to dominate the film medium in America by 1917.[12]
1927–1959: Sound era and the Golden Age of Hollywood
See also: Pre-Code Hollywood and Hays Code
The narrative and visual style of classical Hollywood style developed further after the transition to sound-film production. The primary changes in American filmmaking came from the film industry itself, with the height of the studio system. This mode of production, with its reigning star system promoted by several key studios,[13] had preceded sound by several years. By mid-1920, most of the prominent American directors and actors, who had worked independently since the early 1910s, had to become a part of the new studio system to continue to work.
The beginning of the sound era itself is ambiguously defined. To some, it began with The Jazz Singer, which was released in 1927, when the Interbellum Generationers became of age and increased box-office profits for films as sound was introduced to feature films.[14] To others, the era began in 1929, when the silent age had definitively ended.[15][better source needed] Most Hollywood pictures from the late 1920s to 1960s adhered closely to a genre — Western, slapstick comedy, musical, animated cartoon, and biopic (biographical picture) — and the same creative teams often worked on films made by the same studio. For instance, Cedric Gibbons and Herbert Stothart always worked on MGM films; Alfred Newman worked at 20th Century Fox for twenty years; Cecil B. DeMille's films were almost all made at Paramount Pictures;[16] and director Henry King's films were mostly made for Twentieth Century Fox. Similarly, actors were mostly contract players. Film historians and critics note that it took about a decade for films to adapt to sound and return to the level of artistic quality of the silents, which they did in the late 1930s when the Greatest Generationers became of age.[citation needed]
Many great works of cinema that emerged from this period were of highly regimented filmmaking. One reason this was possible is that, as so many films were made, not every one had to be a big hit. A studio could gamble on a medium-budget feature with a good script and relatively unknown actors. This was the case with Citizen Kane (1941), directed by Orson Welles and regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Other strong-willed directors, like Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra, battled the studios in order to achieve their artistic visions. The apogee of the studio system may have been the year 1939, which saw the release of such classics as The Wizard of Oz; Gone with the Wind; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Stagecoach; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Destry Rides Again; Young Mr. Lincoln; Wuthering Heights; Only Angels Have Wings; Ninotchka; Beau Geste; Babes in Arms; Gunga Din; The Women; Goodbye, Mr. Chips; and The Roaring Twenties.[17]
Style
The visual-narrative style of classical Hollywood cinema, as elaborated by David Bordwell,[18] was heavily influenced by the ideas of the Renaissance and its resurgence of mankind as the focal point. It is distinguished at three general levels: devices, systems, and the relations of systems.
Devices
The devices most inherent to classical Hollywood cinema are those of continuity editing. This includes the 180-degree rule, one of the major visual-spatial elements of continuity editing. The 180-degree rule keeps with the "photographed play" style by creating an imaginary 180-degree axis between the viewer and the shot, allowing viewers to clearly orient themselves within the position and direction of action in a scene. According to the 30-degree rule, cuts in the angle that the scene is viewed from must be significant enough for the viewer to understand the purpose of a change in perspective. Cuts that do not adhere to the 30-degree rule, known as jump cuts, are disruptive to the illusion of temporal continuity between shots. The 180-degree and 30-degree rules are elementary guidelines in filmmaking that preceded the official start of the classical era by over a decade, as seen in the pioneering 1902 French film A Trip to the Moon. Cutting techniques in classical continuity editing serve to help establish or maintain continuity, as in the cross cut, which establishes the concurrence of action in different locations. Jump cuts are allowed in the form of the axial cut, which does not change the angle of shooting at all, but has the clear purpose of showing a perspective closer or farther from the subject, and therefore does not interfere with temporal continuity.[19]
Systems
Narrative logic
Classical narration progresses always through psychological motivation, i.e., by the will of a human character and its struggle with obstacles towards a defined goal. This narrative element is commonly composed of a primary narrative (e.g. a romance) intertwined with a secondary narrative or narratives. This narrative is structured with an unmistakable beginning, middle and end, and generally there is a distinct resolution. Utilizing actors, events, causal effects, main points, and secondary points are basic characteristics of this type of narrative. The characters in classical Hollywood cinema have clearly definable traits, are active, and very goal oriented. They are causal agents motivated by psychological rather than social concerns.[5] The narrative is a chain of cause and effect with causal agents – in classical style, events do not occur randomly.
Cinematic time and space
Time in classical Hollywood is continuous, linear, and uniform, since non-linearity calls attention to the illusory workings of the medium. The only permissible manipulation of time in this format is the flashback. It is mostly used to introduce a memory sequence of a character, e.g., Casablanca.[20]
The greatest rule of classical continuity regarding space is object permanence: the viewer must believe that the scene exists outside the shot of the cinematic frame to maintain the picture's realism. The treatment of space in classical Hollywood strives to overcome or conceal the two-dimensionality of film ("invisible style") and is strongly centered upon the human body. The majority of shots in a classical film focus on gestures or facial expressions (medium-long and medium shots). André Bazin once compared classical film to a photographed play in that the events seem to exist objectively and that cameras only give us the best view of the whole play.[21]
This treatment of space consists of four main aspects: centering, balancing, frontality, and depth. Persons or objects of significance are mostly in the center part of the picture frame and never out of focus. Balancing refers to the visual composition, i. e., characters are evenly distributed throughout the frame. The action is subtly addressed towards the spectator (frontality) and set, lighting (mostly three-point lighting, especially high-key lighting), and costumes are designed to separate foreground from the background (depth).
Relations of systems
The aspects of space and time are subordinated to the narrative element.
Legacy
The New Hollywood of the mid-1960s to early 1980s was influenced by the romanticism of the classical era,[22] as was the French New Wave.[23]
Major figures from Classic Hollywood cinema
Names in bold were recognized on the American Film Institute's list ranking the top 25 male and 25 female greatest screen legends of American film history. The top stars of their respective genders are Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, who starred together in the classic adventure 1951 film The African Queen. As of 2023, Sophia Loren (88) is the only living star listed in the top 50 greatest screen legends.
Carl Laemmle (1867–1939)
Marie Dressler (1868–1934)
Adolph Zukor (1873–1976)
D. W. Griffith (1875–1948)
Lionel Barrymore (1878–1954)
Max Factor (1877–1938)
Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959)
Samuel Goldwyn (1882–1974)
John Barrymore (1882–1942)
Lon Chaney (1883–1930)
Douglas Fairbanks (1883–1939)
Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957)
Wallace Beery (1885–1949)
Sessue Hayakawa (1886–1973)
Chico Marx (1887–1961)
Harpo Marx (1888–1964)
Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977)
Victor Fleming (1889–1949)
Stan Laurel (1890–1965)
Groucho Marx (1890–1977)
Jack L. Warner (1892–1978)
Oliver Hardy (1892–1957)
Ernst Lubitsch (1892–1947)
Mary Pickford (1892–1979)
William Powell (1892–1984)
Edward G. Robinson (1893–1973)
Harold Lloyd (1893–1971)
Mae West (1893–1980)
Jimmy Durante (1893–1980)
Lillian Gish (1893–1993)
Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952)
Gummo Marx (1893–1977)
Norma Talmadge (1894–1957)
John Ford (1894–1973)
King Vidor (1894–1982)
Rudolph Valentino (1895–1926)
Buster Keaton (1895–1966)
José Mojica (1895–1974)
Ruth Gordon (1896–1985)
Frank Capra (1897–1991)
Marion Davies (1897–1961)
Dorothy Arzner (1897–1979)
Edith Head (1897–1981)
Hal B. Wallis (1898–1986)
Randolph Scott (1898–1987)
Irene Dunne (1898–1990)
Fred Astaire (1899–1987)
Gloria Swanson (1899–1983)
Irving Thalberg (1899–1936)
James Cagney (1899–1986)
Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980)
Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957)
George Cukor (1899–1983)
Ramon Novarro (1899–1968)
Spencer Tracy (1900–1967)
Jean Arthur (1900–1991)
Helen Hayes (1900–1993)
Mervyn LeRoy (1900–1987)
Clark Gable (1901–1960)
Walt Disney (1901–1966)
Gary Cooper (1901–1961)
Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992)
Zeppo Marx (1901–1979)
David O. Selznick (1902–1965)
William Wyler (1902–1981)
Norma Shearer (1902–1983)
Bing Crosby (1903–1977)
Bob Hope (1903–2003)
Claudette Colbert (1903–1996)
Vincente Minnelli (1903–1986)
Cary Grant (1904–1986)
Dolores del Rio (1904–1983)
George Stevens (1904–1975)
Greer Garson (1904–1996)
Clara Bow (1905–1965)
Greta Garbo (1905–1990)
Henry Fonda (1905–1982)
Myrna Loy (1905–1993)
Joan Crawford (190?–1977)
Anna May Wong (1905–1961)
Gilbert Roland (1905–1994)
Louise Brooks (1906–1985)
Janet Gaynor (1906–1984)
Billy Wilder (1906–2002)
John Huston (1906–1987)
Fred Zinnemann (1907–1997)
Laurence Olivier (1907–1989)
Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003)
John Wayne (1907–1979)
Rosalind Russell (1907–1976)
Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990)
Bette Davis (1908–1989)
Carole Lombard (1908–1942)
David Lean (1908–1991)
James Stewart (1908–1997)
Lupe Vélez (1908–1944)
Rex Harrison (1908–1990)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1909–2000)
Errol Flynn (1909–1959)
Carmen Miranda (1909–1955)
Elia Kazan (1909–2003)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993)
David Niven (1910–1983)
Luise Rainer (1910–2014)
Vincent Price (1911–1993)
Jean Harlow (1911–1937)
Danny Kaye (1911–1987)
Ginger Rogers (1911–1995)
José Ferrer (1912–1992)
Gene Kelly (1912–1996)
Vivien Leigh (1913–1967)
Loretta Young (1913–2000)
Burt Lancaster (1913–1994)
Richard Widmark (1914–2008)
Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996)
Tyrone Power (1914–1958)
Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)
Orson Welles (1915–1985)
Frank Sinatra (1915–1998)
Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982)
Alice Faye (1915–1998)
Anthony Quinn (1915–2001)
Olivia de Havilland (1916–2020)
Gregory Peck (1916–2003)
Betty Grable (1916–1973)
Van Johnson (1916–2008)
Kirk Douglas (1916–2020)
Jane Wyman (1917–2007)
Lena Horne (1917–2010)
Susan Hayward (1917–1975)
Robert Mitchum (1917–1997)
Joan Fontaine (1917–2013)
June Allyson (1917–2006)
William Holden (1918–1981)
Ida Lupino (1918–1995)
Rita Hayworth (1918–1987)
Jennifer Jones (1919–2009)
Maureen O'Hara (1920–2015)
Gene Tierney (1920–1991)
Mickey Rooney (1920–2014)
Montgomery Clift (1920–1966)
Ricardo Montalbán (1920–2009)
Shelley Winters (1920–2006)
Yul Brynner (1920–1985)
Deborah Kerr (1921–2007)
Jane Russell (1921–2011)
Esther Williams (1921–2013)
Cyd Charisse (1921–2008)
Lana Turner (1921–1995)
Dorothy Dandridge (1922–1965)
Doris Day (1922–2019)
Ava Gardner (1922–1990)
Kathryn Grayson (1922–2010)
Judy Garland (1922–1969)
Charlton Heston (1923–2008)
Rhonda Fleming (1923–2020)
Ann Miller (1923–2004)
Stanley Donen (1924–2019)
Marlon Brando (1924–2004)
Eva Marie Saint (1924–present)
Lauren Bacall (1924–2014)
Jack Lemmon (1925–2001)
Richard Burton (1925–1984)
Paul Newman (1925–2008)
Rock Hudson (1925–1985)
Tony Curtis (1925–2010)
Angela Lansbury (1925–2022)
Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962)
Gina Lollobrigida (1927–2023)
Sidney Poitier (1927–2022)
Janet Leigh (1927–2004)
Shirley Temple (1928–2014)
Ann Blyth (1928–present)
Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993)
Jane Powell (1929–2021)
Grace Kelly (1929–1982)
Mitzi Gaynor (1931–present)
James Dean (1931–1955)
Leslie Caron (1931–present)
Rita Moreno (1931–present)
Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011)
Debbie Reynolds (1932–2016)
Anthony Perkins (1932–1992)
Peter O'Toole (1932–2013)
Omar Sharif (1932–2015)
Jayne Mansfield (1933–1967)
Kim Novak (1933–present)
Sophia Loren (1934–present)
Shirley MacLaine (1934–present)
Elvis Presley (1935–1977)
Julie Andrews (1935–present)
Diahann Carroll (1935–2019)
Margaret O'Brien (1937–present)
Natalie Wood (1938–1981)
Sandra Dee (1942–2005)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Hollywood_cinema
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Inner Sanctum: A Film Noir Thriller of Amnesia, Deception, and Murder (1948)
Inner Sanctum is a thriller film that was released in 1948. The movie is directed by Lew Landers and stars Charles Russell, Mary Beth Hughes, and Dale Belding. It follows the story of a man named Harold Dunlap (played by Russell) who is suffering from amnesia and has no recollection of his past. Dunlap finds himself at the mercy of a woman named Evelyn (played by Hughes), who takes advantage of his condition and manipulates him into thinking that they are married.
As Dunlap begins to regain some of his memories, he realizes that he has been set up for a murder that he did not commit. He turns to a private investigator named Ross Stewart (played by Belding) for help in unraveling the mystery and clearing his name.
As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that Evelyn is not who she appears to be and that she has a sinister agenda. With the help of Stewart and his own determination, Dunlap must fight to uncover the truth and clear his name before it's too late.
Inner Sanctum is a classic example of film noir, with its moody lighting, shadowy sets, and dark storyline. It is a tense and gripping thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.
Cast:
Charles Russell as Harold Dunlap
Mary Beth Hughes as Evelyn
Dale Belding as Ross Stewart
Fritz Leiber as Dr. Bennett
Nana Bryant as Mrs. Bennett
Billy House as Willie
Jean Parker as Nurse Strand
Ann Doran as Miss Walker
Paul Bryar as Sergeant Grogan
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A Gritty Film Noir Crime Thriller: Kansas City Confidential (1952)
"Kansas City Confidential" is a film noir crime thriller from 1952, directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne, Coleen Gray, and Lee Van Cleef. The movie follows an ex-con named Joe Rolfe, who is framed for a bank robbery that he did not commit. He decides to clear his name by tracking down the real culprits.
The story begins with a group of four masked men who rob a bank in Kansas City. They all wear masks and use fake names to hide their true identities. After the robbery, they split up and go their separate ways. However, the police eventually capture an ex-con named Joe Rolfe, who they believe was involved in the robbery.
Despite his claims of innocence, Rolfe is convicted and sentenced to jail. After his release, he sets out to find the real robbers and clear his name. He follows a trail of clues that leads him to a small Mexican fishing village, where he discovers the true identity of the mastermind behind the robbery.
The film is notable for its gritty realism and its strong performances by the lead actors. It also features some intense action sequences and a complex plot that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Overall, "Kansas City Confidential" is a classic example of the film noir genre and is considered to be one of the best crime thrillers of the 1950s.
Cast:
John Payne as Joe Rolfe
Coleen Gray as Helen Foster
Preston Foster as Tim Foster
Neville Brand as Boyd Kane
Lee Van Cleef as Tony Romano
Jack Elam as Pete Harris
Dona Drake as Teresa
Mario Siletti as Tomaso
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A Gripping Film Noir of Murder and Deceit: Fear in the Night (1947)
The 1947 film "Fear in the Night" is a film noir directed by Maxwell Shane. The film stars Paul Kelly as Vince Grayson, a man who wakes up from a nightmare convinced that he has murdered someone. Vince is unsure whether his nightmare was just a dream or a repressed memory of a real murder.
Vince seeks the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Edith Horton (played by Ann Doran), to try to make sense of his vivid and terrifying nightmare. As Vince begins to piece together his memories and experiences, he begins to suspect that his brother-in-law, Cliff Herlihy (played by DeForest Kelley), may be involved in the murder he believes he has committed.
As Vince tries to uncover the truth about his nightmare and the murder, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With the help of Dr. Horton and his wife Betty (played by Kay Scott), Vince races against time to uncover the truth before it's too late.
"Fear in the Night" is a classic film noir that is known for its moody atmosphere and tense, psychological storytelling. With strong performances from the cast, including a standout performance from Kelly as the troubled Vince, and atmospheric cinematography by Jack Greenhalgh, "Fear in the Night" is a gripping and unforgettable film that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Cast:
Paul Kelly as Vince Grayson
DeForest Kelley as Cliff Herlihy
Ann Doran as Dr. Edith Horton
Kay Scott as Betty Winters
Robert Emmett Keane as Detective Sgt. David Cullen
Fear in the Night is an American 1947 film noir crime film directed by Maxwell Shane, starring Paul Kelly and DeForest Kelley (in his film debut). It is based on the Cornell Woolrich story "And So to Death" (retitled '"Nightmare" in 1943). Woolrich is credited under pen name William Irish.[3] The film was remade by the same director in 1956 with the title Nightmare this time starring Edward G. Robinson playing the cop and Kevin McCarthy.[4]
Plot
Bank teller Vince Grayson (DeForest Kelley) dreams that he stabs a man in an octagonal room of mirrors and locks the body in a closet. When he wakes up, he discovers marks on his throat, a strange key and a button in his pocket, and blood on his cuff. Cliff Herlihy (Paul Kelly), his police officer brother-in-law, tries to convince him it was just a dream.
A few days later, while trying to find cover from the rain, the pair finds themselves taking shelter in the strange house from Vince's dream, which is owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Belknap. They discover that the police found two bodies at the house, one in the mirrored room and one run over in the driveway. Mrs. Belknap, who was run over by a car, gave the police a description matching Vince before she died.
At first Vince is hopeful that he is innocent because he does not know how to drive, but he recognizes the victims from his dream. Overcome with remorse, he attempts suicide, but is rescued by Cliff. The detective uncovers clues that point to an evil hypnotist (Robert Emmett Keane) manipulating Vince. They realize that the hypnotist is actually Mr. Belknap in disguise, and they try to trap him by pretending that Vince wants hush money.
Belknap puts Vince under hypnosis and tries to get him to drown himself. Cliff rescues him from the lake and Mr. Belknap is killed in a car accident as he is trying to evade the police. It is implied that Vince will be acquitted of all charges since he killed the man in the mirrored room in self-defense.
Cast
Paul Kelly as Cliff Herlihy
DeForest Kelley as Vince Grayson
Ann Doran as Lil Herlihy
Kay Scott as Betty Winters
Charles C. Victor as Captain Warner
Robert Emmett Keane as Lewis Belknap, aka Harry Byrd
Jeff York as Deputy Torrence
Production
The film's original title was Nightmare. It was shot in ten days.[5]
It was also known as Dead of Night.[6]
Reception
When the film was released the film critic for The New York Times panned the film, writing, "Fear in the Night, a minor shocker which opened at the Rialto yesterday, is just about as ridiculous as any that comes in this line ... It is not only silly but rather dull. DeForest Kelley is dopey as the fall guy and Paul Kelly is brisk as his detective friend."[7]
More recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz was more positive and liked the film, writing, "An excellent low-budget psychological thriller directed and written by Maxwell Shane that is based on the story "Nightmare" by Cornell Woolrich. Cinematographer Greenhalgh's shadowy black and white photography gives it a film noir look ... The taut pulp story, dreamy atmospheric settings and brooding mood throughout, all serve the film well. The crisp acting was just right. DeForest Kelley, in his debut performance, does a fine job as the innocent victim."[8]
See also
List of films in the public domain in the United States
References
Hedda Hopper (13 Dec 1946). "LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD". Los Angeles Times. p. A3.
TWO DOLLAR BILLS: LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD WITH HEDDA HOPPER Chicago Daily Tribune 13 Apr 1947: h7.
Fear in the Night at IMDb.
Nightmare at IMDb.
DRAMA AND FILM: Kim Hunter, Buchanan Will Costar in England Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 17 Jan 1947: 9.
Metro's Latest Prize Story to Star Hepburn Scheuer, Philip. Los Angeles Times 25 Dec 1946: 9.
The New York Times. Film review, April 19, 1947. Accessed: July 8, 2013.
Schwartz, Dennis Archived 2014-09-03 at the Wayback Machine. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, September 24, 2004. Accessed: July 8, 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fear in the Night (1947 film).
Fear in the Night at IMDb
Fear in the Night at Rotten Tomatoes
Fear in the Night at AllMovie
Fear in the Night at the TCM Movie Database
Fear in the Night is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Fear in the Night informational site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
Fear in the Night analysis by author Thomas C. Renzi at Film Noir of the Week
Review at Variety
Streaming audio
Nightmare on Suspense: March 13, 1948. Radio drama of story on which the movie was based.
vte
Films of Pine-Thomas Productions
Feature Films
Power Dive (1941) Forced Landing (1941) Flying Blind (1941) No Hands on the Clock (1941) Torpedo Boat (1942) I Live on Danger (1942) Wildcat (1942) Wrecking Crew (1942) Tornado (1943) Aerial Gunner (1943) High Explosive (1943) Alaska Highway (1943) Submarine Alert (1943) Minesweeper (1943) Timber Queen (1944) The Navy Way (1944) Gambler's Choice (1944) Take It Big (1944) Dark Mountain (1944) One Body Too Many (1944) Double Exposure (1944) Dangerous Passage (1944) High Powered (1945) Midnight Manhunt (1945) Follow That Woman (1945) Scared Stiff (1945) People Are Funny (1946) Tokyo Rose (1946) They Made Me a Killer (1946) Hot Cargo (1946) Swamp Fire (1946) Seven Were Saved (1947) Big Town (1947) I Cover Big Town (1947) Fear in the Night (1947) Danger Street (1947) Adventure Island (1947) Jungle Flight (1947) Big Town After Dark (1947) Albuquerque (1948) Caged Fury (1948) Mr. Reckless (1948) Speed to Spare (1948) Big Town Scandal (1948) Shaggy (1948) Waterfront at Midnight (1948) Disaster (1948) Dynamite (1948) Manhandled (1949) Special Agent (1949) El Paso (1949) Captain China (1950) The Eagle and the Hawk (1950) The Lawless (1950) Tripoli (1950) The Last Outpost (1951) Passage West (1951) Hong Kong (1951) Caribbean (1952) The Blazing Forest (1952) Tropic Zone (1953) Jamaica Run (1953) Sangaree (1953) The Vanquished (1953) Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) Jivaro (1954) Run for Cover (1955) The Far Horizons (1955) Hell's Island (1955) Lucy Gallant (1955) Nightmare (1956) The Big Caper (1957) Bailout at 43,000 (1957)
Short Films
A Letter from Bataan (1942) We Refuse to Die (1942) The Price of Victory (1942)
Categories:
1947 films1940s crime thriller filmsAmerican black-and-white filmsFilm noirFilms about hypnosisFilms based on short fictionFilms directed by Maxwell ShaneParamount Pictures filmsFilms based on works by Cornell WoolrichAmerican crime thriller films1940s English-language films1940s American films
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_in_the_Night_(1947_film)
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Old Hollywood Bloopers (1936)
In recent years, the number of remaining major stars from the era has rapidly diminished with losses including; Doris Day in 2019, Olivia de Havilland, Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming in 2020, Sidney Poitier and Angela Lansbury in 2022 and Gina Lollobrigida in early 2023.
Those listed in boldface were awarded or nominated for a position on the American Film Institute's list ranking the top 25 male and 25 female greatest screen legends of American film history. With the death of Poitier, all male living legends and nominees have now died. In addition to Sophia Loren, there are 6 remaining female nominees: Ann Blyth, Claire Bloom, Mitzi Gaynor, Rita Moreno, Piper Laurie and Margaret O'Brien.
See. AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.
Living Actors from the period include;
Elisabeth Waldo – born 1918 (age 104)
Caren Marsh Doll – born 1919 (age 104)
Patricia Wright – born 1921 (age 101)
Ray Anthony – born 1922 (age 101)
Margia Dean – born 1922 (age 101)
Micheline Presle – born 1922 (age 100)
Janis Paige – born 1922 (age 100)
Jacqueline White born 1922 (100)
Glynis Johns – born 1923 (age 99)
Eva Marie Saint – born 1924 (age 98)
Noreen Nash – born 1924 (age 98)
Brigitte Auber – born 1925 (age 97)
June Lockhart – born 1925 (age 97)
Lee Grant – born 1925 (age 97)
Dick Van Dyke – born 1925 (age 97)
Roger Corman – born 1926 (age 97)
Marilyn Knowlden – born 1926 (age 96)
Terry Kilburn – born 1926 (age 96)
Phyllis Coates – born 1927 (age 96)
Lisa Lu – born 1927 (age 96)
Harry Belafonte – born 1927 (age 96)
Cora Sue Collins – born 1927 (age 95)
Estelle Parsons – born 1927 (age 95)
Peggy Dow – born 1928 (age 95)
Nancy Olson – born 1928 (age 94)
Ann Blyth – born 1928 (age 94)
Earl Holliman – born 1928 (age 94)
Garry Watson – born 1928 (age 94)
Marion Ross – born 1928 (age 94)
Terry Moore – born 1929 (age 94)
James Hong – born 1929 (age 94)
Don Murray – born 1929 (age 93)
Vera Miles – born 1929 (age 93)
Betta St. John – born 1929 (age 93)
Tippi Hedren – born 1930 (age 93)
Robert Wagner – born 1930 (age 93)
Joanne Woodward – born 1930 (age 93)
Clint Eastwood – born 1930 (age 92)
Gena Rowlands – born 1930 (age 92)
Mary Costa – born 1930 (age 93)
Mamie Van Doren – born 1931 (age 92)
Claire Bloom – born 1931 (age 92)
Carroll Baker – born 1931 (age 91)
Leslie Caron – born 1931 (age 91)
Darryl Hickman – born 1931 (age 91)
Barbara Eden – born 1931 (age 91)
Mitzi Gaynor – born 1931 (age 91)
Angie Dickinson – born 1931 (age 91)
Rita Moreno – born 1931 (age 91)
Piper Laurie – born 1932 (age 91)
Felicia Farr – born 1932 (age 90)
Ellen Burstyn - born 1932 (age 90)
Kim Novak – born 1933 (age 90)
Joan Collins – born 1933 (age 89)
Julie Newmar – born 1933 (age 89)
Debra Paget – born 1933 (age 89)
Audrey Dalton – born 1934 (age 89)
Shirley Jones – born 1934 (age 89)
Shirley MacLaine – born 1934 (age 88)
Pat Boone – born 1934 (age 88)
Jean Marsh – born 1934 (age 88)
Sophia Loren – born 1934 (age 88)
Claude Jarman Jr. – born 1934 (age 88)
Russ Tamblyn – born 1934 (age 88)
Julie Andrews – born 1935 (age 87)
Alain Delon – born 1935 (age 87)
Margaret O'Brien – born 1937 (age 86)
Jane Fonda – born 1937 (age 85)
Claudia Cardinale – born 1938 (age 85)
Millie Perkins – born 1938 (age 84)
Kathryn Beaumont – born 1938 (age 84)
Connie Stevens – born 1938 (age 84)
Dolores Hart – born 1938 (age 84)
George Hamilton – born 1939 (age 83)
Jill St. John – born 1940 (age 82)
Frankie Avalon – born 1940 (age 82)
Fabian Forte – born 1943 (age 80)
Shelley Fabares – born 1944 (age 79)
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You Bet Your Life Outtakes (1950-1952)
You Bet Your Life is a classic television game show that first aired in 1950 and continued to entertain audiences for over a decade. The show was hosted by the legendary comedian Groucho Marx and was known for its humorous and lighthearted tone.
The premise of the show involved contestants answering questions and completing various challenges in order to win money and prizes. Groucho would often engage the contestants in witty banter, making jokes and poking fun at their responses.
The show's format varied throughout its run, but typically involved contestants being paired with a secret word or phrase, and then answering questions related to that word or phrase. There were also physical challenges that required the contestants to perform various tasks, such as balancing objects or solving puzzles.
You Bet Your Life was a popular show that drew in a large audience, thanks in part to Groucho Marx's charm and wit. The show has since become a classic of television history, and is remembered as a beloved example of early game show entertainment.
You Bet Your Life is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television.[1] The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, and went to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show on both radio and television but not simultaneously. Many of the laughs on the television show were evoked by Groucho's facial reactions and other visual gimmicks; the two versions were slightly different. The last episode in a radio format aired on June 10, 1960. The series continued on television for another year, recording a season on September 22, 1960 with a new title, The Groucho Show.
Gameplay on each episode of You Bet Your Life was generally secondary to Groucho's comedic interplay with contestants and often with Fenneman. The show was so popular that it was the first primetime series to be shown in reruns during the summer months. The common practice at the time was to have a series go on hiatus during the summer, being replaced temporarily by a 13-week comedy or variety series before the main series returned in the fall. The You Bet Your Life summer reruns were broadcast as The Best of Groucho, to make clear to viewers that these were repeat broadcasts.
After the show went off the air, NBC prepared a syndicated version for local stations in 1961. Because the reruns were already established as The Best of Groucho, the syndicated version retained this title. NBC removed all references to the original sponsors by cropping the image whenever the sponsor's logo appeared, along with the "NBC" mark on Groucho's microphone. This is why some shots in the syndicated versions appear grainy and less focused: by deleting the sponsor's logo, the image zoomed in on what remained on the screen, sometimes cropping out a contestant while the screen showed only Groucho.
You Bet Your Life has been revived three times since the original series ended, the most recent being an ongoing version hosted by Jay Leno that launched in first-run syndication in September 2021.
History
The mid-1940s were a lull in Groucho Marx's career. His radio show Blue Ribbon Town, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, had begun in March 1943 and had failed to catch on. Groucho left the program in June 1944 and was replaced by vocalist Kenny Baker (who appeared with Groucho in 1939's At the Circus) until the show ended two months later. He also reluctantly appeared in two films with brothers Chico and Harpo Marx, A Night in Casablanca and the lackluster Love Happy.
Title card from Groucho Marx era (seen on The Best of Groucho reruns)
During a radio appearance with Bob Hope in March 1947, Marx ad-libbed most of his performance after being forced to stand by in a waiting room for 40 minutes before going live on the air. John Guedel, the Hope program's producer, formed an idea for a quiz show and approached Marx about the subject.
After initial reluctance on Marx's part, Guedel was able to convince him to host the program once Marx realized the quiz would be only a backdrop for his contestant interviews and the storm of ad-libbing that they would elicit. Guedel also convinced Marx to invest in 50% of the show, in part by saying that he was "untouchable" at ad-libbing, but not at following a script.[2]
As Marx and the contestants were ad-libbing, Guedel insisted that each show be filmed and edited before release to remove the risqué or less interesting material. The show for the studio audience ran longer than the broadcast version.[2]
On December 28, 1949, episode #49-13 was filmed as a visual test in preparation for the show to be broadcast on television.[3] The president of Film Craft Productions, Regina Lindenbaum (who did the subsequent filming), cited it as the first television show filmed before a live audience.[4] Most television histories incorrectly credit I Love Lucy with that achievement, but Lucy premiered a year after Groucho's first filmed season. While filming both shows did indeed allow for greater control in post-production editing, the principal reason they were filmed was so that they could be produced in Hollywood before the advent of the "coaxial cable" that allowed live coast-to-coast broadcasts. They also produced clearer images for the West Coast than the fuzzy kinescope recordings that dominated network programming there in television's early days.
Gameplay
Contestant teams usually consisted of one male and one female, most of whom were selected from the studio audience. Occasionally, famous or otherwise interesting figures were invited to play (e.g., a Korean-American contestant who was a veteran and had been a prisoner of war during the Korean War).
Each episode began with the introduction "And now, here he is: the one, the only..." by Fenneman, who would pause, inviting the audience to finish the sentence by shouting in unison "GROUCHO!" Groucho replies, "Oh, that's me!" and the show's band would then play a portion of the tune "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", Marx's signature song. Groucho next would be introduced to the first two contestants and engage in humorous conversations in which he would improvise his responses or employ prepared lines written by the show's writers using pre-show interviews. The total number of contestants in each episode varied depending on the length of Groucho's conversations and the time taken for gameplay in each segment. Generally, however, the 30-minute format of the televised show provided time for two or three two-person teams to play in each episode.
Some show tension revolved around whether a contestant would say the "secret word", a common word revealed to the audience at the outset of each episode. If one of the contestants said the word, a toy duck resembling Groucho—with eyeglasses and a mustache—descended from the ceiling to bring a $100 prize, which would then be divided equally between that segment's two-person team. A cartoon of a duck with a cigar was also used in the opening title sequence. The duck was occasionally replaced with various other things, for example a wooden Indian figure, carrying the required $100 prize to the lucky team. In one episode, Groucho's brother Harpo came down instead of the duck, and in another a female model attired in a tight bodice and very short skirt came down in a birdcage with the money. In his conversations with contestants, Marx would at times direct their exchanges in ways to increase the likelihood that someone would use the secret word.
In November 1955, Groucho announced on the air that he had noticed the success of big-money quiz programs (referring to, but not naming, The $64,000 Challenge) and declared that You Bet Your Life was itself going to raise its "Secret Word" bonus: from $100 to $101. This gimmick lasted until the end of the year.
Formats
Main game
After the contestants' introduction and interview, the actual game began. Couples were allowed to choose from a list of 20 available categories before the show; then they tried to answer a series of questions within that category. From 1947 to 1956, couples were asked four questions.
1947–1953 – Each couple began with $20, wagering part or all of their bankroll for each question.
1953–1954 – Each couple now began with $0, but selected values from $10 to $100 (going up in $10 increments). A correct answer added the value of the question to their bankroll, while an incorrect answer did nothing. According to co-director Robert Dwan in his book As Long As They're Laughing, Guedel changed the scoring format because too many couples were betting, and losing, most or all of their money.
1954–1956 – The format was slightly altered to start each couple with $100. Incorrect answers now cut their bankroll to that point in half.
1956–1959 – Two couples (reduced from three) answered questions until they either gave two consecutive incorrect responses or answered four consecutive questions correctly for a prize of $1,000.
1959–1961 – For the last two seasons, couples picked four questions worth $100, $200, or $300 each, potentially winning up to $1,200. Winning at least $500 qualified the team to go for the jackpot question.
From 1947 to 1956, if a couple ended their quiz with $25 or less, Marx would ask a very easy question so they could receive consolation money of $25 (later $100), which did not count toward the scores. The question was often patently obvious so there was virtually no chance that departing contestants would answer it incorrectly. Some examples include the following: "Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?", "When did the War of 1812 start?", "How long do you cook a three-minute egg?", and "What color is an orange?" The question about Grant's Tomb became such a staple of the show that both Marx and Fenneman were shocked when one man got the question "wrong" by answering "No one". As the contestant then pointed out, Grant's Tomb is an above-ground mausoleum.
Jackpot question
In all formats, one of the two players on the team could keep their half of the winnings while the other risked their half. In this case, all amounts being played for were divided in half.
1947–1956 – The highest-scoring couple was given one final question for the jackpot, which began at $1,000 and increased by $500 each week until won. In the event of a tie, the tied couples wrote their answers on paper and all couples who answered correctly split the jackpot.
1956–1957 – For a brief period following the format change, couples who won the front game could wager half on another question worth $2,000.
1957–1959 – Winning couples now faced a wheel with numbers from 1–10, selecting one number for $10,000. If the number selected was spun, a correct answer to the jackpot question augmented the team's total winnings to that amount; otherwise, the question was worth a total of $2,000.
1959–1961 – For the last two seasons, the format was slightly altered to eliminate the risk and add a second number for $5,000.
Nielsen ratings
Seasonal Nielsen ratings covered the period between October and April of the following year. The rating number represents the percentage of homes tuned into that program.
Season Rating/Share Place
1950–51 36.0 17th
1951–52 42.1 10th
1952–53 41.6 9th
1953–54 43.6 3rd
1954–55 41.0 4th
1955–56 35.4 7th
1956–57 31.1 17th
1957–58 30.6 10th
1958–59 N/A Below the top 30
1959–60
1960–61
Nielsen also measured the radio version at tenth among radio shows in 1955.[5]
Despite not being involved with the quiz show scandals, the show's popularity waned and You Bet Your Life fell out of the top 25. NBC stopped making the show in 1961.
Sponsorship
The radio program was sponsored by Allen Gellman, president of Elgin American, maker of watch cases and compacts, during its first two and a half seasons.[6][7] Later, seasons of the television show (as well as the radio show, after January 1950) were sponsored by Chrysler, with advertisements for DeSoto automobiles incorporated into the opening credits and the show itself. Each show would end with Marx sticking his head through a hole in the DeSoto logo and saying, "Friends...go in to see your DeSoto-Plymouth dealer tomorrow. And when you do, tell 'em Groucho sent you." Still later sponsors included the Toni Company (Prom home permanent, White Rain shampoo) with commercials featuring Harpo and Chico Marx, Lever Brothers (Lux liquid, Wisk detergent), Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Geritol), and Lorillard Tobacco Co. (Old Gold cigarettes).
In 1953 the show became embroiled in controversy when its musical director, Jerry Fielding, was called to appear before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities and refused to testify, citing his Fifth Amendment privileges. The show's sponsor, the DeSoto-Plymouth Dealers of America, demanded that Marx fire Fielding, and he complied. Fielding later accused the House committee of calling him up to testify because they wanted him to name Marx as a Communist sympathizer, and Marx himself later wrote, "That I bowed to sponsors' demands is one of the greatest regrets of my life."[8]
Contestants
The interviews were sometimes so memorable that the contestants became celebrities: "nature boy" health advocate Robert Bootzin; Mexican-American entertainer Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez; comedians Phyllis Diller and Ronnie Schell; author Ray Bradbury; virtuoso cellist Ennio Bolognini; blues singer and pianist Gladys Bentley; strongmen Jack LaLanne[9] and Paul Anderson; and actor John Barbour all appeared as contestants while working on the fringes of the entertainment industry.
Harland Sanders, who talked about his "finger-lickin'" recipe for fried chicken that he parlayed into the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain of restaurants, once appeared as a contestant. A guest purporting to be a wealthy Arabian prince was really writer William Peter Blatty; Groucho saw through the disguise, stating, "It was pretty obvious to me that you weren't an Arabian prince; I used to have an Arabian horse and I know what they look like." Blatty won $10,000 and used the money, after quitting his job, to support himself while he focused on establishing a career as a writer. He would later go on to write The Exorcist in 1971. No one in the audience knew the identity of contestant Daws Butler until he began speaking in the voice of cartoon character Huckleberry Hound. He and his partner in the episode went on to win the top prize of $10,000. Cajun politician Dudley J. LeBlanc, a Louisiana state senator and medicine showman, demonstrated his winning style at giving campaign speeches in French, also confessing (in a rare moment of candor) the truth about his signature nostrum, Hadacol: when asked what Hadacol was good for, LeBlanc admitted "about five million dollars for me last year."[10] General Omar Bradley was teamed with an army private, and Marx goaded the private into telling Bradley everything that was wrong with the army. Professional wrestler Wild Red Berry admitted that the outcomes of matches were determined in advance, but that the injuries were real; he revealed a long list of injuries he had sustained.
Other celebrities, already famous, occasionally teamed up with their relatives to win money for themselves or for charities. On February 6, 1958, silent-film star Francis X. Bushman and his wife Iva Millicient Richardson appeared on the show and won $1,000 by successfully answering questions in a geography quiz.[11] Arthur Godfrey's mother Kathryn was a contestant on another episode and held her own with Marx. Edgar Bergen and his then 11-year-old daughter Candice also teamed up with Marx and his daughter Melinda to win $1,000 for the Girl Scouts of the USA, with Fenneman taking on the role of quizmaster for that segment.
Other celebrity guests included Jayne Mansfield, Edith Head, Mickey Walker, Francis X. Bushman, Howard Hill, General Clarence A. Shoop, Louise Beavers, Irwin Allen, Frankie Avalon, Lord Buckley, Sammy Cahn, Ray Corrigan, Sam Coslow, Don Drysdale, Hoot Gibson, physicist and host of Exploring Albert Hibbs, Tor Johnson, Ward Kimball, Ernie Kovacs, Laura La Plante, Liberace, Joe Louis, Bob Mathias, Irish McCalla, screenwriter and author Mary Eunice McCarthy,[12] Harry Ruby, Max Shulman, Fay Spain, Colonel John Paul Stapp, John Charles Thomas, Edith Head, Pinky Tomlin, Rocky Marciano and his mother, Charles Goren, and Johnny Weissmuller. In 1961 Groucho's brother Harpo appeared to promote his just-published autobiography, Harpo Speaks.
Cigar incident
Original host Groucho Marx
The show's most notorious remark supposedly occurred as Groucho was interviewing Charlotte Story, who had borne 20 children (the exact number varies in tellings of the urban legend). When Marx asked why she had chosen to raise such a large family, Mrs. Story is said to have replied, "I love my husband"; to which Marx responded, "I love my cigar, but I take it out of my mouth once in awhile." The remark was judged too risqué to be aired, according to the anecdote, and was edited out before broadcast.[13]
Marion and Charlotte Story were indeed parents of 20 children and had appeared as contestants on the radio version of the show in 1950.[14] Audio recordings of the interview exist, and a reference to cigars is made ("With each new kid, do you go around passing out cigars?"), but there is no evidence of the infamous line.[15] Marx and Fenneman both denied that the incident took place.[16] "I get credit all the time for things I never said," Marx told Roger Ebert, in 1972. "You know that line in You Bet Your Life? The guy says he has seventeen kids and I say, 'I smoke a cigar, but I take it out of my mouth occasionally'? I never said that."[17] Marx's 1976 memoir recounts the episode as fact,[18] but co-writer Hector Arce relied mostly on sources other than Marx himself—who was by then in his late eighties and mentally compromised—and was probably unaware that Marx had specifically denied speaking the legendary line.[19] Snopes surmised the line may have been conflated with another exchange with a girl who had 16 siblings; in that episode, Groucho asked the girl how her father felt about having 17 children. She replied "my daddy loves children," and Groucho responded "Well, I like pancakes, but I haven't got a closet full of them!"[15]
Legacy
Seven months after You Bet Your Life ended its 11-season run at NBC, Marx hosted another game show in prime time, Tell It to Groucho. It aired on CBS during the winter months of 1961 and the spring months of 1962. The game involved each of three celebrity pictures being flashed on a screen, each for a quarter of a second. The couple won $500 for each picture they identified. If the couple could not identify any of the three pictures, they were shown one picture and won $100 for a correct guess. As in You Bet Your Life, the focus of the show was on Marx's interviews with the contestants before they played the game. Replacing George Fenneman were two teenaged sidekicks, Jackson Wheeler and Patti Harmon. Both had appeared on You Bet Your Life as contestants during its final season (Harmon under her given name of Joy Harmon).
You Bet Your Life was parodied on a live April 1955 episode of The Jack Benny Program. Benny pretended to be someone else to get on the quiz show (competing with a female contestant played by Irene Tedrow), and continues to divulge information during an effort to say the secret word. In the skit, Benny is unable to answer the final question, which Groucho asks with a knowing chuckle and ironically is about Benny himself, simply because it asks his real age; as part of his comic persona, Benny would never give his age voluntarily, even for something he valued as much as money. After the sketch Groucho asked him why he opted out of the 3,000-dollar prize. Benny then gave away his age, indirectly, by saying "Where else could I buy 22 years for 3,000 dollars?" After Marx's death this film appeared in the Unknown Marx Brothers documentary on DVD. A brief clip of the episode appeared in the 2009 PBS special Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America.
The title of the show was parodied in the 1989 Weird Al Yankovic film UHF, on the U62 Fall Schedule as You Bet Your Pink Slip.
A Bugs Bunny cartoon entitled Wideo Wabbit had a scene where Bugs Bunny impersonated Groucho to Elmer Fudd for the game show You Beat Your Wife, a takeoff on the name You Bet Your Life.
An episode of Animaniacs had a segment called "You Risk Your Life" where if the secret word was said, Wakko would hit the contestant who said it on the head with a mallet. The contestants were Mrs. Myra Puntridge and Aristotle. The secret word was "yes," and Aristotle said it three times.
An episode of In Living Color had a skit called "You Bet Your Career". Jamie Foxx plays Bill Cosby, and it features washed-up celebrities competing for a walk-on role in sitcoms.
Revivals
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1980–1981
Buddy Hackett, host of 1980–81 version
In 1980, Buddy Hackett hosted a new version produced by Hill-Eubanks Productions, and syndicated by MCA. Fenneman's announcer/sidekick role was taken over by nightclub entertainer Ron Husmann.
The show would begin with Hackett performing a brief stand up routine followed by a brief chat with Husmann. Three individual contestants appeared on each episode, one at a time. The contestants were interviewed by Hackett and then played a true or false quiz of five questions in a particular category. The first correct answer to a question earned $25, and the amount doubled with each subsequent correct answer. After the fifth question, the contestant could opt to try to correctly answer a sixth question to triple their winnings; however, if the contestant was incorrect, their earnings were cut in half. Additionally, the secret word was still worth $100, and if anyone said it, each contestant on that episode won $100.
The contestant with the most money returned at the end of the show to meet "Leonard", the prize duck (If there was a tie, they would be asked a question with a numeric answer, which they wrote down, and whoever was closest without going over won). The contestant then stopped a rotating device, causing a plastic egg to drop out which concealed the name of a bonus prize, one of which was a car.
Some episodes had celebrities, including George Fenneman, Phil Harris, and Greg Evigan appear as contestants; each played for a member of the studio audience.
1992–1993
Bill Cosby, host of 1992–93 version
Another version hosted by Bill Cosby aired from September 7, 1992, to June 4, 1993 (with repeats airing until September 3 of that year), in syndication. Carsey-Werner syndicated the series, the first show they distributed themselves. Cosby was joined on this show by a female announcer and sidekick, Robbi Chong, who was referred to as "Renfield". Organist Shirley Scott contributed the jazzy theme music, and the program was taped in Philadelphia at the studios of public television station WHYY-TV (the former taping site of Nickelodeon's Double Dare and Finders Keepers).
Three couples competed, with each couple playing the game individually. After the couple was introduced, they spent time talking with Cosby. When the interview was done, the game began. Each couple was staked with $750 and were then asked three questions within a category presented at the start of the game. Before each question, the couple made a wager, which would be added to their winnings if they were correct or subtracted if they were incorrect. The secret word in this version, worth $500, was delivered by a stuffed toy black goose dressed in a sweatshirt from Temple University, Cosby's alma mater; if one couple said it, a new word would be chosen when the next couple was introduced.
The couple with the most money (independent of any secret word bonuses) advanced to the bonus round, in which they were asked one last question in any given subject. A correct answer won a choice of three envelopes, which were all attached to the goose. Two of the envelopes displayed the goose's face and would double the couple's money, while the third awarded an additional $10,000.
As the 1992/93 season progressed, many stations carrying the show either moved it to overnight time slots or dropped it entirely due to low ratings.
2021–present
Jay Leno, host of present day version
In September 2020, it was announced that Fox First Run would reboot the show in syndication, which premiered on September 13, 2021, with Jay Leno as host. Carsey-Werner's Tom Werner will return as executive producer.[20][21] It was stated that the revival would also include bits carried over from Leno's tenure on The Tonight Show and The Jay Leno Show, such as Headlines, and that Kevin Eubanks, who had been Leno's bandleader on The Tonight Show from 1995 to 2009 and for a brief time in 2010, and The Jay Leno Show (as the Primetime band). and comic foil for much of his run on Tonight, would serve as sidekick; Leno plans on avoiding any political or topical humor to keep the show evergreen.[22]
In this format, two teams of two contestants per show answer four questions in one category; some are multiple-choice, while others are open-ended. The first question is worth $250, and the value increases by $250 per question to a maximum of $1,000. After the fourth question, each member of the team may either end the game and keep their share of the winnings, or play a fifth question; a correct answer doubles their total, while a miss forfeits it. The secret word (sponsored by CarGurus in the first season and Bingo Blitz and Slotomania in the second season), awards a $500 bonus as in the 1992-93 revival. Starting in the second season, if the contestants answer a random question correctly, a follow-up bonus question was asked where if answered correctly, the contestants are awarded a $1,000 bonus. A team can win up to $6,500 by answering all five questions correctly, answering the bonus question correctly, and saying the secret word. If time permits at the end of an episode, one audience member is asked a question and can win a prize for giving the correct answer.
The opening comedy segments, including Headlines, were removed without fanfare at the end of November 2021; the program now begins with Jay and Kevin welcoming the first set of contestants. However, the program's website still solicits viewer submissions for the comedy segment.[citation needed]
Episode status
Most of the episodes still exist, with 1954–61 episodes syndicated by NBC as The Best Of Groucho. Also existing is the unaired pilot episode (TV version), which was produced for CBS on December 5, 1949. A handful of audio recordings from the radio show also exist dating as far back as 1947, as do a number of one-hour, uncut audio recordings, which were edited to create the radio version, mostly from spring 1949 and fall 1953.[23]
Unlike most pre-1973 NBC in-house productions, it was not part of the package of series sold to National Telefilm Associates. Producer John Guedel explained why the You Bet Your Life shows were excluded: "They were slow and in black-and-white and old-fashioned. When NBC sold its library to NTA and went out of the syndication business, NTA had no interest in Groucho."[24] Marx's grandson, Andy Marx, confirmed the story.
While Groucho Marx was entertaining show business friends at a 1973 party, an employee at an NBC warehouse called and announced that the network was discarding its inventory of You Bet Your Life film prints to make room for newer series. The network was willing to give the reels back to Marx for free. Although Marx wasn't interested in the physical film prints, those present at the party convinced him to take the prints so they would not be destroyed. Once the hundreds of film cans arrived, Marx, dismayed at the sheer volume of the library, contacted Guedel. Guedel, anxious to see if there was still a market for the show, sold it on a trial basis to a local station for less than $50 for each night. The show became an instant success, prompting Guedel to send the reruns into syndication almost immediately.[25]
With Guedel having "made a royalty deal with NBC to syndicate" the old shows himself,[26] NBC still held ancillary rights of this version, thus distribution began with NBC Enterprises from 2001 to 2004. Since September 2004, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios handles syndication rights to the Marx (non-public domain) and Hackett versions.
In the United States, public domain and official releases were distributed on home video by the following companies:
NBC Home Video (1984–85)
Ambrose Video (1988–98)
Brentwood Home Video (1998–2001)
Alpha Video Classics (2001–11)
Goodtimes DVD (2000–02)
Passion Productions (2005–present)
Brentwood Communications (2005–08)
BCI Navarre (2011–present)
Additionally, two official DVD compilations were released by Shout! Factory and Sony Music Entertainment; the first was You Bet Your Life: The Lost Episodes, released in 2003, which contained 18 classic episodes not seen since the original broadcasts, as well as numerous bonus features, including outtakes, a behind-the-scenes piece, and rare audio clips. A second release, You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes, followed in 2004 and included another assortment of 18 original episodes, as well as three game show pilots featuring Marx among its bonus features. Both of the DVD presentations in both of SHOUT! Factory/Sony Music Entertainment's DVD releases of Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life were presented uncut and unedited, remastered and restored from the original kinescopes and in its original NBC broadcast presentation.
The Carsey-Werner Company owns the Cosby version, as it produced that revival with Cosby.
References and notes
Review You Bet Your Life radio episode originally broadcast October 12, 1949. Full episode available to hear at YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc., Mountain View, California. Retrieved August 22, 2017. In the cited episode and during the early years of You Bet Your Life, announcer George Fenneman consistently described the show as a "comedy quiz series" during his introduction of each episode.
Marx, Arthur (1960). Life with Groucho. New York: Popular Library Edition, 1960
Marx, Groucho; Finneman, George. "You Bet Your Life #49-13 Unaired test film". YouTube. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
Lindenbaum, Isodore (1952). "You Bet Your Mark". Television, August 1952, 31-32.
"The Busy Air". Time magazine. February 7, 1955. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2009. "The Nielsen ratings of the top ten radio shows seemed to indicate that not much has changed in radio: 1) Jack Benny Program (CBS), 2) Amos 'n' Andy (CBS), 3) People Are Funny (NBC), 4) Our Miss Brooks (CBS) 5) Lux Radio Theater (NBC), 6) My Little Margie (CBS), 7) Dragnet (NBC), 8) FBI in Peace and War (CBS), 9) Bergen and McCarthy (CBS), 10) Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life (NBC)."
Chandler, Charlotte (1978). Hello, I must be going: Groucho and his friends. Doubleday, 1978, p. 190.
Marx, Groucho (posthumously, 2007). The Groucho Letters: Letters from and to Groucho Marx. Simon & Schuster, 2007, p. 311.
"Groucho, Chico, Harpo... and Karl?". The Washington Post.
"Jack La Lanne". YouTube. April 25, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
Gardner, Martin (June 1, 1957). "18". Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science. Dover Publications.
"You Bet Your Life #57-20 Francis X. Bushman ...", episode 20 of 1957-1958 season of You Bet Your Life, originally broadcast February 6, 1958. Digital copy of full episode on YouTube, a streaming service owned by Alphabet, Inc., Mountain View, California. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
Smith, Cecil (May 30, 1958). "Death-Rattle Ring Chokes Laughter". The Los Angeles Times. p. B-8. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
Dwan, R. (2000). As Long As They're Laughing : Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life. Baltimore, Maryland: Midnight Marquee, 2000, p. 129. ISBN 188766436X
Kanfer, Stefan (2001). Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx. New York: Vintage, May 2001, p. 136. ISBN 0375702075
"radiotv/audio/story". msgboard.snopes.com. Retrieved July 12, 2014. Mikkelson, David (February 15, 2001). "The Secret Words". Snopes. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
Stoliar, Steve (2011). Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House. New York: BearManor Media, October 2011, pp. 124-5. ISBN 1593936524
Ebert, Roger. "A Living Legend, Rated R." Esquire, July 1972, p. 143. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
Marx, G. and Arce, H. The Secret Word is Groucho. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1976, pp. 33-4. ISBN 0399116907.
Kaltenbach, C. (1997). "Also 20 Years Dead: Groucho." Baltimore Sun, 19 August 1997, p. E-1.
Hayes, Dade (September 9, 2020). "Jay Leno To Host You Bet Your Life Reboot On Fox Television Stations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
"FOX Television Stations Reinventing Legendary Comedy Game You Bet Your Life Starring Jay Leno" (Press release). Fox Television Stations. September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
Zelst, Christina Van (April 6, 2021). "Contestants wanted: Jay Leno brings back 'You Bet Your Life' on FOX6". FOX6 News Milwaukee. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
You Bet Your Life Unedited at the Internet Archive
John Guedel in Cecil Smith, "Man Who Said the Secret Word," Los Angeles Times, March 12, 1975, pg. F15
Marx, Andy (March 2, 2013). "The day my grandfather Groucho and I saved You Bet Your Life". BoingBoing.net. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
John Guedel in Cecil Smith, source cited above
External links
You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno official Web site
Illustrated web page depicting the changes in You Bet Your Life episodes when they were adapted into Best of Groucho episodes and Supplement page to preceding; these pages explain the relevance of the changes to copyright status
You Bet Your Life radio shows on archive.org
Episodes from the TV show (Public Domain)
You Bet Your Life (Cosby) @ Carsey-Werner.net (en)
Carsey-Werner - You Bet Your Life (Cosby)
You Bet Your Life (1950) on IMDb
You Bet Your Life (1980) on IMDb
You Bet Your Life (1992) on IMDb
You Bet Your Life (2021) on IMDb
Snopes.com page about the "I love my cigar..." urban legend
The Day My Grandfather Groucho and I Saved You Bet Your Life
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The Marx Brothers
Chico Harpo Groucho Gummo Zeppo
Films
Humor Risk (1921) The Cocoanuts (1929) Animal Crackers (1930) The House That Shadows Built (1931) Monkey Business (1931) Horse Feathers (1932) Duck Soup (1933) A Night at the Opera (1935) A Day at the Races (1937) Room Service (1938) At the Circus (1939) Go West (1940) The Big Store (1941) A Night in Casablanca (1946) Love Happy (1949) The Story of Mankind (1957)
Musicals
I'll Say She Is (1924) The Cocoanuts (1925) Animal Crackers (1928)
Songs
"Hello, I Must Be Going" "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" "Lydia the Tattooed Lady"
Radio
Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel (1932, episodes) Blue Ribbon Town (1943–44)
Television
"The Incredible Jewel Robbery" (1959) Deputy Seraph (1959)
Family
Minnie Marx Sam Marx Al Shean Barbara Marx Susan Fleming Eden Hartford Arthur Marx Melinda Marx Miriam Marx Gregg Marx
Related
You Bet Your Life An Evening with Groucho Captain Spaulding "Why a Duck?" Giraffes on Horseback Salad Groucho Club Groucho glasses Hello, I Must Be Going Marx & Lennon Minnie's Boys Groucho: A Life in Revue
Category
Categories:
Peabody Award-winning radio programsNBC original programmingNBC radio programsCBS Radio programsABC radio programs1947 radio programme debuts1960 radio programme endings1950 American television series debuts1961 American television series endings1980 American television series debuts1981 American television series endings1992 American television series debuts1993 American television series endings2021 American television series debuts1940s American comedy game shows1950s American comedy game shows1960s American comedy game shows1980s American comedy game shows1990s American comedy game shows2020s American comedy game showsAmerican radio game showsBlack-and-white American television showsEnglish-language television showsFirst-run syndicated television programs in the United StatesJay LenoMarx BrothersRadio programs adapted into television showsTelevision series based on radio seriesTelevision series by Universal TelevisionTelevision series by Carsey-Werner ProductionsTelevision series by Fox EntertainmentAmerican television series revived after cancellation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Bet_Your_Life
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A Thrilling Film Noir Ride Through the Seedy Underworld of San Francisco - Woman on the Run (1950)
"Woman on the Run" is a film noir thriller released in 1950, directed by Norman Foster. The movie follows the story of Frank Johnson, a man who witnesses a murder and goes on the run to escape the killer. In a race against time, the police and a journalist named Dan Legget, played by Ann Sheridan, work to track down Frank before the killer can catch up to him. As they navigate the seedy underworld of San Francisco, the tension and danger escalate, and secrets are revealed that threaten to upend everything. With its moody atmosphere, intense performances, and stunning location photography, "Woman on the Run" is a taut and suspenseful ride through the dark side of the city.
The cast includes Dennis O'Keefe as Frank Johnson, Robert Keith as Inspector Ferris, and Ross Elliott as Detective Shaw. But it is Ann Sheridan who steals the show with her portrayal of the tough-talking and streetwise journalist who teams up with Frank to uncover the truth. Together, they unravel a web of lies, betrayal, and hidden motives, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the killer.
Cast:
Ann Sheridan as Eleanor "Ellie" Johnson
Dennis O'Keefe as Frank Johnson
Robert Keith as Inspector Ferris
Ross Elliott as Detective Shaw
John Qualen as Taxi Driver
Frank Jenks as Ernie, a Reporter
Jane Liddell as Mrs. Phillips
Joan Shawlee as Miss Woburn
Woman on the Run is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Norman Foster and starring Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe.[1] The film was based on the April 1948 short story "Man on the Run" by Sylvia Tate and filmed on location in San Francisco.
The film, which lies in the public domain, was restored and preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Plot
Frank Johnson is an unsuccessful painter who is out walking his dog one night when a car stops nearby. Unbeknown to Frank, the passenger in the car, a middle-aged man with an Irish accent, is trying to blackmail the driver. The passenger is about to testify before the grand jury against a criminal named Smiley Freeman. The passenger promises that he will not divulge the driver's ties to Freeman in return for a cash payment. The passenger does all the talking, addressing the driver, whose face is not shown, as "Danny Boy". Frank hears a shot as the would-be blackmailer is pushed out the passenger door. The stricken man begs for his life before the driver finishes him off with a second shot. The killer then sees Frank hiding in the shadows and takes two shots at him before driving away.
The police identify the victim as Joe Gordon. They tell Frank that Gordon was about to give evidence against Freeman. Because Frank clearly saw the shooter's face, Police Inspector Ferris wants to place him in protective custody. Frank has second thoughts and slips away while the police are otherwise occupied. Ferris sends for Frank's wife, Eleanor, to see if she can help him find Frank. When she arrives, the police are taken aback by her seeming lack of concern for her husband. Her flippant remarks indicate an unhappy marriage. It's "just like him, always running away," she tells Ferris. "Running away from what?" Ferris asks. "From everything," she replies. The police stake out her building in case Frank returns home.
Eleanor later tries to sneak out of her building without being spotted by the police and encounters reporter Danny Legget. He offers his help and $1000 for an exclusive story. They go to a club that Frank frequents. Sam, a waiter friend of Frank's, furtively passes a written message to Eleanor. But Legget reads the message too without Eleanor noticing. The message, from Frank, is that he will send her a letter addressed to his co-worker Maibus.
When Eleanor returns to her apartment, Ferris is waiting for her. He informs her that Dr. Hohler, Frank's doctor, has told him that Frank is taking medicine for a bad heart, a fact Frank has kept from Eleanor. Eleanor goes to Dr. Hohler who confirms that Frank's heart condition could be fatal. He gives Eleanor some ampules of Frank's medicine.
Eleanor then goes to the department store where Frank works as a window designer to get the letter he sent to Maibus. But Maibus doesn't have the letter and the mail clerk tells him there was no letter. Legget has managed to get the letter by bribing the mail clerk before Eleanor had arrived. Legget reads it but the letter doesn't tell him where to find Frank. He now has to show the letter to Eleanor, who is the only person in a position to guess where Frank is staying from the hints Frank gives in the letter, but Eleanor can't figure out what Frank is trying to tell her. They speak to Sam again at the club. One of the dancers, Suzie, mentions to Legget that Frank made a sketch that resembles Legget, but Eleanor doesn't hear her conversation with him. Suzie tells Legget that she will keep the sketch for the time being. Legget and Eleanor cross the street to a bar to make further inquiries. Legget leaves Eleanor on the pretense of making a phone call but exits the bar unobserved and returns to the club. He later slips back into the bar, tears up a penciled likeness of himself, and rejoins Eleanor as police cars and an ambulance arrive at the club. Suzie has apparently fallen from the building to her death.
During her search for Frank, Eleanor learns things that she never knew about him, especially that everyone who knows Frank likes and admires him. They all believe that she must be a wonderful person if Frank married her. She tells Legget that she now realizes how much Frank really loves her.
Eleanor finally deduces from the clues in Frank's letter that he is waiting for her on the beach near an amusement park. Eleanor arrives there at night accompanied by the persistent Legget, who has by this time thoroughly insinuated himself into her confidence. Ferris locates the taxi that Legget and Eleanor took to the amusement park and goes after them. Ferris also receives a phone call from Sam, who tells him that the only thing missing from Suzie's possessions is Frank's drawing of Legget. In the meantime, Eleanor finds Frank and they embrace. She then leaves to look for Legget. She and Legget spot Ferris and get on a roller coaster to avoid being spotted in turn. Legget has Eleanor stay on the roller coaster while he goes to meet Frank. But Legget has inadvertently let it slip that the killer had shot at Frank. Eleanor suddenly realizes that the only other person who could know this fact is the gunman himself—"Danny Boy" Legget. While she is trapped on the ride, Legget tries to put Frank under enough stress to induce a heart attack. The two struggle. Shots ring out. Eleanor runs to the scene to discover that Ferris has shot Legget. For the second time, she and Frank embrace.
Cast
Ann Sheridan as Eleanor Johnson
Dennis O'Keefe as Daniel Legget
Robert Keith as Inspector Martin Ferris
John Qualen as Maibus
Frank Jenks as Detective Shaw
Ross Elliott as Frank Johnson
Jane Liddell as Messenger Girl
Joan Shawlee as Tipsy Blonde in Bar (as Joan Fulton)
J. Farrell MacDonald as Sea Captain
Steven Geray as Dr. Hohler
Victor Sen Yung as Sam
Reiko Sato as Suzie (as Rako Sato)
Syd Saylor as Sullivan
Milton Kibbee as man yelling from apartment house (uncredited)
Tom Dillon as Joe Gordon (as Thomas P. Dillon)
Production
Production on the film was announced in trade publications in January 1950, initially with the working title Man on the Run.[2] As part of the casting process, actor J. Farrell MacDonald was then "borrowed" from 20th Century Fox for the supporting role of the sea captain before filming began on 20 March.[3][4] The film was shot on location in San Francisco as well as at Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica for the amusement park and roller coaster scenes.[5]
Ross Hunter worked as dialogue director on the film. He later produced some movies starring Sheridan at Universal helping launch Hunter's producing career.[6]
Reception
In 1950, the critic Bosley Crowther of The New York Times gave the film a generally positive review:
Since it never pretends to be more than it is, "Woman on the Run", which began a stand at the Criterion yesterday, is melodrama of solid if not spectacular proportions. Working on what obviously was a modest budget, its independent producers may not have achieved a superior chase in this yarn about the search by the police and the fugitive's wife for a missing witness to a gangland killing. But as a combination of sincere characterizations, plausible dialogue, suspense and the added documentary attribute of a scenic tour through San Francisco, "Woman on the Run" may be set several notches above the usual cops-and-corpses contributions from the Coast ... "Woman on the Run" will not win prizes but it does make crime enjoyable.[7]
In a more current assessment of the drama, reviewer Farran Smith Nehme in 2016 praised Sheridan's performance in Film Comment.[8] Also, according to film historian Philippa Gates, Woman on the Run is one of very few noir films foregrounding a heroine's quest, and especially one where "the heroine's quest is not necessarily complicated by [heterosexual romance ..., in fact] the love interests are absent for the majority of the story".[9]
See also
Public domain film
List of American films of 1950
List of films in the public domain in the United States
References
Woman on the Run at the American Film Institute Catalog.
Hopper, Hedda (Jan 13, 1950). "Ann Sheridan's Next Movie to Be a Comedy with Cops and Gangsters: Looking at Hollywood...". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. A6.
"FILMLAND BRIEFS". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 1950. p. A6.
THOMAS F. BRADY (Mar 6, 1950). "TWO MOVIE FIRMS MERGE INTERESTS: Fidelity and Erskine Also List Ambitious Schedule for the New Production Company Western Slated for Flynn". p. 28.
Barron, Mark (Oct 15, 1950). "ALONG BROADWAY: Roller Coaster 'Throws' Texas' Ann Sheridan". Los Angeles Times. p. D10.
Schallert, Edwin (Aug 7, 1950). "'Red Badge' Off-Beat Casting Revel; Bruce Cabot Does Top Bad Man". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, November 30, 1950. Accessed: August 18, 2013.
"Too Late for Tears (1949) + Woman on the Run (1950) – Film Comment". Film Comment. 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
Philippa Gates, "Independence Unpunished: The Female Detective in Classic Film Noir", in Robert Miklitsch ed., Kiss the Blood off My Hands: On Classic Film Noir (Urbana: Univ. of IL Press, 2014), 21. See also Gates' full-length book on the subject of female detectives in film, Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film (SUNY Press, 2011). ISBN 1-4384-3405-7
External links
Woman on the Run at the American Film Institute Catalog
Woman on the Run at IMDb
Woman on te Run is available for free download at the Internet Archive
Woman on the Run at AllMovie
Woman on the Run at the TCM Movie Database
Woman on the Run at Rotten Tomatoes Edit this at Wikidata
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Films directed by Norman Foster
I Cover Chinatown (1936) Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937) Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938) Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938) Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939) Charlie Chan in Reno (1939) Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939) Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939) Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) Scotland Yard (1941) It's All True (unfinished film, segment "My Friend Bonito") Journey into Fear (1943) Santa (1943) The Escape (1944) The Hour of Truth (1945) El ahijado de la muerte (1946) Rachel and the Stranger (1948) Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) Tell It to the Judge (1949) Father Is a Bachelor (1950) Woman on the Run (1950) Navajo (1952) Sky Full of Moon (1952) Sombrero (1953) Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956) Indian Paint (1965) The Deathhead Virgin (1974)
Categories:
1950 films1950 crime filmsAmerican black-and-white filmsAmerican crime films1950s English-language filmsFilm noirFilms based on short fictionFilms directed by Norman FosterFilms scored by Emil NewmanFilms set in San FranciscoFilms shot in San FranciscoUniversal Pictures filmsFilms scored by Arthur Lange1950s American films
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_on_the_Run
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