Category Archives: Film

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 RKO picture “Deadline at Dawn,” with Susan Hayward, Paul Lukas, Bill Williams, Joseph Calleia, Osa Massen, Lola Lane, Jerome Cowan, Marvin Miller, Roman Bohnen, Steven Geray, Joe Sawyer, Constance Worth and Joseph Crehan. … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘That’s My Baby’ Promotes Popularity of Baby Peggy

Note: This is an encore post from 2018. Diana Serra Cary died Feb. 24 at the age of 101. Film studios often employed gimmicks as ways to build word of mouth, increase box office, and promote movie stars throughout the … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

  This week’s mystery movie was the 1929 Warner Bros. picture “The Show of Shows,” directed by John G. Adolfi, photographed by Barney McGill, dance ensembles by Jack Haskell and Larry Ceballos. Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by Louis Silvers. “The Show … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Newhallywood Film Festival Shines a Light on Silent Films

Over the Presidents Day weekend, Santa Clarita, the county Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum hosted the inaugural Newhallywood Silent Film Festival at the William S. Hart Museum, allowing people of all ages … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Restoration Summit

An image from a Georges Melies film presented by Serge Bromberg at the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s Restoration Summit. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.,  best known for hosting the Golden Globes, presented its second annual Restoration Summit February 15 and … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Noble Johnson Emancipates African Americans With Lincoln Film Co.

Note: This is an encore post from 2019. Recognized for playing Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Latinos in “King Kong,” “The Mummy,” “The Ten Commandments” and many others throughout his long film career, African American Noble Johnson achieved greater renown … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1935 MGM film “Biography of a Bachelor Girl,” with Ann Harding, Robert Montgomery, Edward Everett Horton, Edward Arnold, Una Merkel, Charles Richman, Greta Meyer, Willard Robertson and Donald Meek. Screenplay by Anita Loos, additional … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1960 MGM film “Home From the Hill,” with Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton, Everett Sloane, Luana Patten, Anne Seymour, Constance Force, Ken Renard and Ray Teal. Screenplay by Harriet Frank Jr. … Continue reading

Posted in 1960, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Hollywood’s Architect | The Paul R. Williams Story’ – A Moving Portrait of Renowned Black Leader

Courtesy of KCET/PBS SoCal. Long renowned for its excellent documentaries and intelligent programming, KCET PBS SoCal premieres another strong work with its moving portrait of pioneering African American architect Paul R. Williams in “Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story.” … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1932 Warner Bros. film “Life Begins,” the studio’s  previous version of the first mystery movie of the year, “A Child Is Born.” “Life Begins” features Loretta Young, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, Glenda Farrell. Clara … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: The Case of the Clicking Heels, Part 1

Hazel Glab’s mug shot. Note: This is an encore post from 2015. This story arises from Linda Hammonds asking for further information regarding a 1920s Spanish home that sits at 12744 Ventura Blvd. on the Facebook page SoCal Historic Architecture. … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: L.A. Master Chorale’s ‘Sunrise’ Soars

Composer Jeff Beal provided new voice to F.W. Murnau’s lyrical silent film “Sunrise” on Sunday, Jan. 26, with a mystical, otherworldly score for chamber orchestra and the 40 voices of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Emphasizing the mysterious alchemy of … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1960 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Seven Thieves,” with Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins, Eli Wallach, Alexander Scourby, Michael Dante, Berry Kroeger, Sebastian Cabot, Marcel Hillaire and John Beardino. Screenplay by Sydney Boehm from … Continue reading

Posted in 1960, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1950 Warner Bros. film “Stage Fright,” with Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, Sybil Thorndike, Kay Walsh, Miles Malleson, Hector McGregor, Joyce Grenfell, Andre Morell, Patricia Hitchcock and Ballard Berkeley. With Alistair … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Hollywood Athletic Club Trains Filmdom’s Elite

The Hollywood Athletic Club, Photoplay, 1924. Note: This is an encore post from 2015. In the 1910s and 1920s, social clubs were all the rage in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Many people immigrated to Southern California’s sunny shores pursuing … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Mack Sennett, Theater Owner

The Woodley Theatre, from Motography, July 14, 1917. Comedy king Mack Sennett recognized the self-promotion power of owning his own movie theater long before film studios owned theater chains or Netflix looked to acquire the Egyptian Theatre. In 1917, savvy … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 Republic film “Dark Command,” with Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Walter Pidgeon, Roy Rogers, George Hayes, Porter Hall, Marjorie Main, Raymond Walburn, Joseph Sawyer, Helen MacKellar, J. Farrell MacDonald and Trevor Bardette. Screenplay by … Continue reading

Posted in 1940, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Mary Astor’s Lost Film ‘New Year’s Eve’

Since TCM is featuring Mary Astor, here’s a brief post on her lost movie “New Year’s Eve.” (A tip of the hat to Lou Lumenick, who tweeted about the movie on — New Year’s Eve.) I also uploaded a version … Continue reading

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‘Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor’ Premieres on TCM

Note: “Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor” will air at 8 p.m. Monday on TCM. This is a post from 2018. Alexa Foreman, who was TCM’s head researcher for many years, will be featured in a Q&A session on her … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie was the 1950 MGM picture “Black Hand,” with Gene Kelly, J. Carrol Naish, Teresa Celli, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Frank Puglia and Mario Siletti. Screenplay by Luther Davis from a story by Leo Townsend. Photography by … Continue reading

Posted in 1950, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Immigration, Mystery Photo, New York | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments