Category Archives: Film

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, April 15, 1960

  Even Mother Thinks Bev's Been Around     If there was ever any humor in the frenzied escapades of Beverly Aadland and her mother, it's long gone now.     It's buried with the body of William Stanciu, blurred by grim … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Columnists, Film, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 15, 1940

April 15, 1940: “Victor is dickering with Jimmy Cagney for sales rights to his monologue recordings of the Dalton Trumbo novel ‘Johnny Got His Gun,’ ” Jimmie Fidler says.

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Hoffman, Field and ‘Kramer’ Win Academy Awards

April 15, 1980: Dustin Hoffman and Sally Field win Academy Awards for leading roles and “Kramer vs. Kramer” is named the best picture in a ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Mevlyn Douglas and Meryl Streep win the best supporting … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 14, 1941

April 14, 1941: “Orson [Welles], having at last backed his boasts by producing a very fine picture, should now set himself the more difficult task — if it's not too late — of making a few friends,” Jimmie Fidler says.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood | 3 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 13, 1940

   April 13, 1940: “Wot's this re: Orson Welles retrenching financially by moving into the Hollywood YMCA,” Jimmie Fidler asks.

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 12, 1940

June Storey in “Rancho Grande” with Gene Autry. April 12, 1940: Seen in profile, W.C. Fields' expression is touchingly nose-talgic, Jimmie Fidler says. 

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Jimmie Fidler, April 11, 1940

  “Weird experiments of a mad scientist.” Are there any other kind?  April 11, 1940: Ode to mayhem: "And now, Miss Velez, DO try to act like a lady!"

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 10, 1940

  April 10, 1940: How come Metro finds such difficulty in fitting Hedy Lamarr with a story? The biography of Lola Montez has never been screened.

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 9, 1940

  “Young Tom Edison Was a Bad Boy!” April 9, 1940: Are those Saturday afternoon air jaunts of Jimmy Stewart and Olivia de Havilland dress rehearsals for an elopement, as intimates insist? … Now it's Akim Tamiroff who's bought a … Continue reading →

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Film Strike Ends

    Aug. 5, 1981, President Reagan fires striking air traffic controllers. April 9, 1960: Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan and actor Charlton Heston shake hands with Charles S. Boren and Columbia Vice President B.B. Kahane on a tentative … Continue reading →

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From the Vaults: ‘Way Down East’ (1920)

Five years after “Birth of a Nation,” D.W. Griffith directed this five-hankie melodrama based on a hugely popular stage play. If you're fond of rambling 19th century novels or four-week 1970s TV miniseries, with tragic heroines and broad casts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 8, 1940

  April 8, 1940: Don't let Charlie Laughton's flabby appearance fool you. He has a grip like a blacksmith … She's been gone for more than a year, but RKO workers invariably cite Katharine Hepburn's screwy doings when they want … Continue reading →

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Hedda Hopper, April 7, 1941

  April 7, 1941: James Cagney … female impersonator? That’s a new one on me.

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 6, 1940

   April 6, 1940: After I ran across a mention of Hollywood gossip columnist Jimmie Fidler in an upcoming Paul Coates column, I thought it would be fun to take a break from Hedda Hopper with a small dose of … Continue reading →

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‘Ben-Hur’ Best Film of the Year

Buster Keaton, who received an honorary award, poses as a waiter for a wary Walter Brennan, who probably expects Keaton to pull some prank. April 5, 1960: Despite the sweltering heat, a crowd gathers in bleachers outside the Pantages Theatre  … Continue reading →

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From The Vaults: ‘The Virgin Spring’ (1960)

This continues to be the only Ingmar Bergman movie I have seen… I have a slew of them in my Netflix queue, but this one got prioritized mainly because it was the basis for Wes Craven's 1972 classic, “Last House … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood, Religion | 2 Comments

Air Force Studied Antimissile Ray Gun

  April 4, 1960: A little boy, a dog, an ice cream cone … and an ice bag? Very cute. No, we don’t do this anymore. On the jump, the Air Force discontinues work on a light ray that would … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Film, Hollywood, Photography, Science | 1 Comment

Hedda Hopper, April 3, 1938

April 3, 1938: Hedda Hopper profiles Dorothy “Dottie” Lamour. “Her sudden success has roused a great deal of jealousy. And the girls say: 'Why should she have all the luck?' “But … I believe you'll agree with me — when … Continue reading →

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Movie Star Mystery Photo

  Los Angeles Times file photo Update: This is Sandra Giles, Miss 8-Ball, 1958. Above, a 1963 publicity photo promoting her appearance in “It Happened at the World’s Fair.” May 22, 1956: Sandra Giles, upset over a nude portrait of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 4 Comments

Voices – June Havoc, 1912 – 2010

Jan. 5, 1981: “This is what I wanted since I was 3,” June Havoc says of her home in Connecticut.

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