Fans regularly make film biopics about famous musicians successful, but they also love to nitpick the results. Or to misquote Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division and the subject of a rather good musical biopic (Control), love will tear apart any work of fan service if it screws up the story, paints the subject in too unflattering a light or, worst of all, mangles the music with impersonations that barely rise above the level of karaoke. (Consider, if you dare, Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin in Beyond the Sea.)
On the other hand, there’s also something irksome about biopics that have actors lip sync to the original songs, like Naomi Ackie did for I Wanna Dance With Somebody or, much less successfully, Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! Especially if that means access to the original recordings or even rights to the songs in the first...
On the other hand, there’s also something irksome about biopics that have actors lip sync to the original songs, like Naomi Ackie did for I Wanna Dance With Somebody or, much less successfully, Dennis Quaid in Great Balls of Fire! Especially if that means access to the original recordings or even rights to the songs in the first...
- 4/9/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jean-Paul Vignon, the romantic French vocalist and actor who impressed audiences on both sides of the Atlantic during an eight-decade career, died March 22 of liver cancer in Beverly Hills, his family announced. He was 89.
Performing a repertoire of contemporary pop and American standards, Vignon debuted in the U.S. in 1963 at the famed New York supper club The Blue Angel, where he opened for stand-up comic Woody Allen.
Ed Sullivan would soon showcase him on his Sunday night CBS variety show in eight appearances — including one in which he sang a duet with young Liza Minnelli — and he became a regular guest on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin’s programs.
Signed to Columbia Records, Vignon released his first U.S. album, Because I Love You, in 1964. Three years later, he had a supporting role opposite William Holden and Cliff Robertson in the World War II film The Devil’s Brigade.
In...
Performing a repertoire of contemporary pop and American standards, Vignon debuted in the U.S. in 1963 at the famed New York supper club The Blue Angel, where he opened for stand-up comic Woody Allen.
Ed Sullivan would soon showcase him on his Sunday night CBS variety show in eight appearances — including one in which he sang a duet with young Liza Minnelli — and he became a regular guest on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin’s programs.
Signed to Columbia Records, Vignon released his first U.S. album, Because I Love You, in 1964. Three years later, he had a supporting role opposite William Holden and Cliff Robertson in the World War II film The Devil’s Brigade.
In...
- 4/3/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By 1962, Elvis Presley was already growing weary of his film career and some of the actors he met. He wanted more substantial, dramatic roles and began to feel embarrassed about the growing list of breezy romances on his resume. Because of this, he grew irritable on set, especially when someone didn’t treat him with the reverence he felt he deserved. Elvis’ bodyguards said the singer consistently spoke poorly about one of his co-stars.
Elvis treated one actor poorly
When Elvis left the army, he began to work his way through a lengthy roster of films. In 1962, he shot Kid Galahad, a film in which his character is a boxer. Charles Bronson played his trainer, and Elvis’ bodyguards admired him for his performance. Elvis did not feel the same way.
“Elvis just did not go for him,” bodyguard Sonny West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy.
Elvis treated one actor poorly
When Elvis left the army, he began to work his way through a lengthy roster of films. In 1962, he shot Kid Galahad, a film in which his character is a boxer. Charles Bronson played his trainer, and Elvis’ bodyguards admired him for his performance. Elvis did not feel the same way.
“Elvis just did not go for him,” bodyguard Sonny West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy.
- 4/2/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Micheline Presle, the French actress whose controversial Devil in the Flesh role was the start of a career that included starring opposite John Garfield, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and Paul Newman, has died at 101.
Presle died Wednesday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law, Olivier Bomsel, told Le Figaro.
Presle portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
She was soon signed by 20th Century Fox, which changed her surname to Prelle and cast her as a café owner who falls in love with a crooked jockey (Garfield) in Jean Negulesco’s Under My Skin (1950). She also starred with Power in the Technicolor war film American Guerilla in the Philippines (1950), and in The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951).
She would appear...
Presle died Wednesday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law, Olivier Bomsel, told Le Figaro.
Presle portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
She was soon signed by 20th Century Fox, which changed her surname to Prelle and cast her as a café owner who falls in love with a crooked jockey (Garfield) in Jean Negulesco’s Under My Skin (1950). She also starred with Power in the Technicolor war film American Guerilla in the Philippines (1950), and in The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951).
She would appear...
- 2/22/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Micheline Presle, the standout French actress who starred in the controversial Devil in the Flesh before making a foray into Hollywood that included roles opposite John Garfield, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and Paul Newman, has died. She was 101.
Presle died Wedneday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law Olivier Bomsel told Le Figaro.
Presle came to international attention when she portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
Because it featured a woman who took a lover while her husband was away at war, it generated a great deal of discussion.
In 1949, Presle met American actor William Marshall, who had been married to another French star, Michèle Morgan, and followed him to America. They would wed that year in Santa Barbara.
Presle died Wedneday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law Olivier Bomsel told Le Figaro.
Presle came to international attention when she portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
Because it featured a woman who took a lover while her husband was away at war, it generated a great deal of discussion.
In 1949, Presle met American actor William Marshall, who had been married to another French star, Michèle Morgan, and followed him to America. They would wed that year in Santa Barbara.
- 2/22/2024
- by Rhett Bartlett and Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ben Lanzarone, the composer, arranger, musical director and pianist who wrote music for such shows as Dynasty, Happy Days, Mr. Belvedere and The Tracey Ullman Show, has died. He was 85.
Lanzarone died Friday in his Los Angeles home of lung cancer, his family announced.
The Brooklyn native toured with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Art Garfunkel, Mary Travers, Anthony Newley, Petula Clark, Lainie Kazan and Mason Williams and for Broadway served as the musical director on the original 1972-1980 production of Grease and arranger on 1972’s Via Galactica and 1975’s Truckload.
His long association with TV producers Aaron Spelling and Douglas S. Cramer resulted in scores for Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat, Vega$, Matt Houston and Hotel.
And for production companies led by Thomas Miller, Edward Milkis and/or Bob Boyett, he came up with music for episodes of Happy Days (including the one in 1977 when Henry Winkler’s...
Lanzarone died Friday in his Los Angeles home of lung cancer, his family announced.
The Brooklyn native toured with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Art Garfunkel, Mary Travers, Anthony Newley, Petula Clark, Lainie Kazan and Mason Williams and for Broadway served as the musical director on the original 1972-1980 production of Grease and arranger on 1972’s Via Galactica and 1975’s Truckload.
His long association with TV producers Aaron Spelling and Douglas S. Cramer resulted in scores for Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat, Vega$, Matt Houston and Hotel.
And for production companies led by Thomas Miller, Edward Milkis and/or Bob Boyett, he came up with music for episodes of Happy Days (including the one in 1977 when Henry Winkler’s...
- 2/19/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Composer Ben Lanzarone, whose work was featured in television shows such as “Happy Days,” “The Love Boat” and “Dynasty,” died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on Feb. 16. He was 85.
Lanzarone received ASCAP’s “Most Performed Composer Award” for his work composing television scores. He wrote for episodes of “The Tracy Ullman Show,” “The Jay Leno Comedy Hour” and” Mr. Belvedere.” In association with Aaron Spelling and Doug Cramer, he composed many scores for “Dynasty,” “The Love Boat,” “Vegas,” “Matt Houston,” “The Colbys” and “Hotel.” In addition, he wrote the music for numerous episodes of “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy.”
Also an arranger, musical director and pianist, Lanzarone became a force in popular music when he began associating with Bob Crewe and Charles Fox. Lanzarone’s album “In Classic Form” came as a result of their collaboration, showing off his talent as a classical and jazz pianist.
Lanzarone received ASCAP’s “Most Performed Composer Award” for his work composing television scores. He wrote for episodes of “The Tracy Ullman Show,” “The Jay Leno Comedy Hour” and” Mr. Belvedere.” In association with Aaron Spelling and Doug Cramer, he composed many scores for “Dynasty,” “The Love Boat,” “Vegas,” “Matt Houston,” “The Colbys” and “Hotel.” In addition, he wrote the music for numerous episodes of “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy.”
Also an arranger, musical director and pianist, Lanzarone became a force in popular music when he began associating with Bob Crewe and Charles Fox. Lanzarone’s album “In Classic Form” came as a result of their collaboration, showing off his talent as a classical and jazz pianist.
- 2/19/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
The music business is all about the next big act, the next big performer. Who’s going to break out. Who’s going to be the next household name. The Grammys, over the years and to varying degrees of success, has delivered that prediction with its Best New Artist prize.
Starting with Bobby Darin in 1960, the award has been the harbinger of who’s going to be topping the music world … some of the time. Darin didn’t do too bad in his long music and acting career. In 1965, a little combo from the UK made the cut and The Beatles went on to become one of the greatest bands ever.
Some other highlights of the Best New Artist roster. In 1962, Peter Nero was the first jazz musician to win. Bobbie Gentry was the first woman to win in 1968. The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, was the first duo to win...
Starting with Bobby Darin in 1960, the award has been the harbinger of who’s going to be topping the music world … some of the time. Darin didn’t do too bad in his long music and acting career. In 1965, a little combo from the UK made the cut and The Beatles went on to become one of the greatest bands ever.
Some other highlights of the Best New Artist roster. In 1962, Peter Nero was the first jazz musician to win. Bobbie Gentry was the first woman to win in 1968. The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, was the first duo to win...
- 2/5/2024
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
Can you guess who won the first Grammy for Best New Artist? It was actually none other than Bobby Darin who claimed the prize at the second Grammy ceremony in 1959. Let’s take a look back at ever winner of this prize, including the year when the award was vacated in 1989, the only time that has happened at the Grammys. Note that no award was given in this category in 1967 and no reason has been given as to why.
Of all the categories that are currently handed out at the Grammy Awards, the Best New Artist honor is one that truly stands out from all the others. One of the reasons for this is that it’s the only category that is awarded for an artist’s cumulative work and doesn’t cite a specific album, composition, or performance. The other is because, theoretically, an artist should only be eligible in this category once.
Of all the categories that are currently handed out at the Grammy Awards, the Best New Artist honor is one that truly stands out from all the others. One of the reasons for this is that it’s the only category that is awarded for an artist’s cumulative work and doesn’t cite a specific album, composition, or performance. The other is because, theoretically, an artist should only be eligible in this category once.
- 2/4/2024
- by Zach Laws, Charles Bright and Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
For many singers and musicians, Elvis Presley was an early idol. Many people recall where they were the first time they ever heard his music. While they would speak highly about him, he typically didn’t extend the favor. According to his bodyguards, Elvis almost always spoke critically about other performers.
Elvis Presley was often critical of other singers
By the start of the 1970s, Elvis’ entourage knew they had to tread carefully around him. He was prone to explosive fits of anger. Sometimes, he pulled a gun on people who frustrated him. They learned that they shouldn’t talk about other performers to avoid stoking his ire.
Elvis Presley | Rb/Redferns
“For instance, Elvis doesn’t like too many other singers — at least living ones,” his bodyguard Red West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “He did admire Bobby Darin very much, but he has passed away.
Elvis Presley was often critical of other singers
By the start of the 1970s, Elvis’ entourage knew they had to tread carefully around him. He was prone to explosive fits of anger. Sometimes, he pulled a gun on people who frustrated him. They learned that they shouldn’t talk about other performers to avoid stoking his ire.
Elvis Presley | Rb/Redferns
“For instance, Elvis doesn’t like too many other singers — at least living ones,” his bodyguard Red West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “He did admire Bobby Darin very much, but he has passed away.
- 1/28/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Michael Westmore is ready for his career closeup.
The Mask Oscar winner and nine-time Emmy winner will receive the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild’s 2024 Vanguard Award at the 11th annual Muahs Awards in February.
Westmore’s five-decade résumé includes a record 45 Emmy noms and ranges from the breathtaking beauty of Elizabeth Taylor to the bloody Rocky series and the Romulans in multiple Star Trek series. His artistry has captivated audiences and set the standard for makeup and hairstyling in film and TV.
Related: 2023-24 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More
The Vanguard Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the make-up and hair styling industry and has left a lasting impact on the craft.
“His contributions and expertise to our industry are unparalleled,” Muahs Business Rep Karen J. Westerfield said of Westmore. “IATSE Local 706 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild.
The Mask Oscar winner and nine-time Emmy winner will receive the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild’s 2024 Vanguard Award at the 11th annual Muahs Awards in February.
Westmore’s five-decade résumé includes a record 45 Emmy noms and ranges from the breathtaking beauty of Elizabeth Taylor to the bloody Rocky series and the Romulans in multiple Star Trek series. His artistry has captivated audiences and set the standard for makeup and hairstyling in film and TV.
Related: 2023-24 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More
The Vanguard Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the make-up and hair styling industry and has left a lasting impact on the craft.
“His contributions and expertise to our industry are unparalleled,” Muahs Business Rep Karen J. Westerfield said of Westmore. “IATSE Local 706 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild.
- 12/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Jamie Foxx’s visit to Toronto in 2004 set him on an awards trajectory that resulted in his winning the best actor Oscar five months later for Ray, director Taylor Hackford’s biopic of the rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles. As Roger Ebert presciently noted in a festival dispatch: “Jamie Foxx is another actor who will emerge … trailing clouds of glory. He won a standing ovation for his virtuoso performance.”
Foxx, who met with Charles before the film went into production, said the musician gave his blessing to a warts-and-all portrayal. “He said, ‘Look, man, tell the story. If you don’t tell the story, it’s not going to be interesting,’ ” Foxx explained to JazzTimes magazine during the fest. “Nobody wants to see a movie that’s, like, ‘Ooh, Ray, you were so good all your life because you were blind.’ You want to see the serious decisions he...
Foxx, who met with Charles before the film went into production, said the musician gave his blessing to a warts-and-all portrayal. “He said, ‘Look, man, tell the story. If you don’t tell the story, it’s not going to be interesting,’ ” Foxx explained to JazzTimes magazine during the fest. “Nobody wants to see a movie that’s, like, ‘Ooh, Ray, you were so good all your life because you were blind.’ You want to see the serious decisions he...
- 9/8/2023
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter, Robert De Niro in Raging Bull, Ben Kingsley in Gandhi, Liam Neeson in Schindler’s ListImage: Universal Pictures, MGM, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures
As we prepare to learn about the story of the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biopic Oppenheimer,...
As we prepare to learn about the story of the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biopic Oppenheimer,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Cindy White and Mark Keizer
- avclub.com
Clockwise from left: Beyond The Sea (Lionsgate), Blonde (Netflix), The Conqueror (Rko Radio Pictures), Gotti (Vertical Entertainment)Photo: The A.V. Club
Ever since Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in a blaze of color-tinted flames in George Méliès 1900 drama Joan Of Arc, biographical films, or biopics, have dramatized the lives of real-life people.
Ever since Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in a blaze of color-tinted flames in George Méliès 1900 drama Joan Of Arc, biographical films, or biopics, have dramatized the lives of real-life people.
- 7/19/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Richard Pryor did more than reinvent comedy, he changed culture, and not only in America. The five-time Grammy Award-winner, actor, writer, director, and standup icon underwent a series of self-discoveries which he revealed to audiences from the inside out long before co-writing Blazing Saddles, and conquering every aspect of showbiz. He did it without compromise. Listeners can study the growing genius of his most transformative years, 1968 through 1973, on newly remastered vinyl reissues of Pryor’s early live albums released through Stand Up! Records along with Omnivore Records and Pryor’s production company Indigo. Richard Pryor (1968), ‘Craps’ (After Hours) (1971), and the vinyl debut of Live At The Comedy Store, 1973, along with the bonus material, shows the artist’s evolution into a revolutionary force.
As the recordings will attest, Richard Pryor is his own theater troupe. Even without the visuals, we can visualize him inhabiting each and every character. He plays them with love,...
As the recordings will attest, Richard Pryor is his own theater troupe. Even without the visuals, we can visualize him inhabiting each and every character. He plays them with love,...
- 6/7/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
In 1969, Merry Clayton stepped into a recording studio in her pajamas and sang an enduring, chill-inducing part on The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” At this point, Clayton had been working as a vocalist for several years. She only grew more successful afterward. Clayton has continued to work as a singer. Here’s what her life has been like in the years since “Gimme Shelter.”
Merry Clayton | Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Bfca Merry Clayton was not expecting to sing on ‘Gimme Shelter’
In 1969, The Rolling Stones were recording “Gimme Shelter” in Los Angeles when they decided they wanted a woman to sing on the song. They called Clayton late at night, and she rushed to the studio, four months pregnant and in pajamas and hair rollers.
“I called Curtis [Amy]: ‘These boys want me to sing about rape and murder,'” she told The Guardian in 2021. “I wanted them to hear me,...
Merry Clayton | Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Bfca Merry Clayton was not expecting to sing on ‘Gimme Shelter’
In 1969, The Rolling Stones were recording “Gimme Shelter” in Los Angeles when they decided they wanted a woman to sing on the song. They called Clayton late at night, and she rushed to the studio, four months pregnant and in pajamas and hair rollers.
“I called Curtis [Amy]: ‘These boys want me to sing about rape and murder,'” she told The Guardian in 2021. “I wanted them to hear me,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Stella Stevens, who starred in the 1972 disaster film “Poseidon Adventure” and in films opposite Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, died Friday in Los Angeles at the age of 84.
Her son, actor/producer Andrew Stevens, confirmed her passing to TheWrap via email. “I was notified early this morning,” Stevens said. “Stella had been in hospice for quite some time with stage seven Alzheimer’s.”
She is perhaps best known for her role as one of the victims of an ocean liner disaster in Irwin Allen’s epic “Poseidon Adventure.” She played a former prostitute married to Ernest Borgnine’s police detective, who, along with Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters, try to make it to the top of the overturned ship.
Stevens also starred with Elvis Presley in the 1962 musical “Girls! Girls! Girls!,” Jerry Lewis in 1963’s “The Nutty Professor,” and Dean Martin in the 1966 spy spoof “The Silencers.” In...
Her son, actor/producer Andrew Stevens, confirmed her passing to TheWrap via email. “I was notified early this morning,” Stevens said. “Stella had been in hospice for quite some time with stage seven Alzheimer’s.”
She is perhaps best known for her role as one of the victims of an ocean liner disaster in Irwin Allen’s epic “Poseidon Adventure.” She played a former prostitute married to Ernest Borgnine’s police detective, who, along with Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters, try to make it to the top of the overturned ship.
Stevens also starred with Elvis Presley in the 1962 musical “Girls! Girls! Girls!,” Jerry Lewis in 1963’s “The Nutty Professor,” and Dean Martin in the 1966 spy spoof “The Silencers.” In...
- 2/17/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Stella Stevens, the screen siren of the 1960s who brought sweet sexiness to such films as The Nutty Professor, Too Late Blues and The Ballad of Cable Hogue, has died. She was 84.
Stevens died Friday in Los Angeles, her son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She had been in hospice for quite some time with Stage 7 Alzheimer’s,” he said.
Shining brightest in light comedies, the blond, blue-eyed actress appeared as a shy beauty contestant from Montana in Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), portrayed a headstrong nun in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows! (1968) opposite Rosalind Russell and frolicked with the fun-loving Dean Martin in two films: the Matt Helm spy spoof The Silencers (1966) and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968).
Stevens also starred opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), a movie she said she detested.
Her signature role, however, came in The Nutty Professor (1963), produced,...
Stevens died Friday in Los Angeles, her son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She had been in hospice for quite some time with Stage 7 Alzheimer’s,” he said.
Shining brightest in light comedies, the blond, blue-eyed actress appeared as a shy beauty contestant from Montana in Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), portrayed a headstrong nun in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows! (1968) opposite Rosalind Russell and frolicked with the fun-loving Dean Martin in two films: the Matt Helm spy spoof The Silencers (1966) and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life (1968).
Stevens also starred opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), a movie she said she detested.
Her signature role, however, came in The Nutty Professor (1963), produced,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 84.
Stevens’ passing was confirmed to Deadline by her son, actor-producer Andrew Stevens, and her longtime friend John O’Brien.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story How To Watch Lisa Marie Presley's Graceland Memorial Service Online Related Story Lisa Marie Presley Dies: Singer, Songwriter, Daughter Of Elvis Was 54 Elvis Presley and Stevens in ‘Girls! Girls! Girls!’, 1962
A former Playboy centerfold from January 1960, Stevens was modeling in her hometown of Memphis when she was discovered and given a screen test by 20th Century Fox. She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the ’60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in Girls!
Stevens’ passing was confirmed to Deadline by her son, actor-producer Andrew Stevens, and her longtime friend John O’Brien.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story How To Watch Lisa Marie Presley's Graceland Memorial Service Online Related Story Lisa Marie Presley Dies: Singer, Songwriter, Daughter Of Elvis Was 54 Elvis Presley and Stevens in ‘Girls! Girls! Girls!’, 1962
A former Playboy centerfold from January 1960, Stevens was modeling in her hometown of Memphis when she was discovered and given a screen test by 20th Century Fox. She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the ’60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in Girls!
- 2/17/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
From “Friday Night Lights” and “Parenthood” showrunner Jason Katims comes another dynamic story adapted from Ann Napolitano’s best-selling novel. “Dear Edward” follows Edward Adler (Colin O’Brien), the lone survivor of a tragic plane crash, as he adjusts to living with his aunt Lacy (Taylor Schilling) and uncle John (Carter Hudson) after losing his parents and brother in the accident.
The show also splits between narratives of other friends and family members connected to the crash through lost loved ones. Dee Dee (Connie Britton) lost her husband Charles, who had a secret life in Los Angeles that she did not know about. Linda (Amy Forsyth) lost her husband Gary, and she is pregnant with his child. Adrianna (Anna Uzele) lost her grandmother, a prominent New York congresswoman and her boss. Kojo (Idris Debrand) comes to New York from Ghana to care for his niece Becks (Khloe Bruno) because his sister...
The show also splits between narratives of other friends and family members connected to the crash through lost loved ones. Dee Dee (Connie Britton) lost her husband Charles, who had a secret life in Los Angeles that she did not know about. Linda (Amy Forsyth) lost her husband Gary, and she is pregnant with his child. Adrianna (Anna Uzele) lost her grandmother, a prominent New York congresswoman and her boss. Kojo (Idris Debrand) comes to New York from Ghana to care for his niece Becks (Khloe Bruno) because his sister...
- 2/3/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Naomi Ackie gives audiences a glimpse into the life of Whitney Houston in director Kasi Lemmons’ new biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and the new film is packed with a number of Houston’s hits.
Working with movement coach Polly Bennett and vocal coaches Tangela Large, Bridgette Jackson and Denise Woods, Ackie also underwent physical transformation with the help of numerous wigs and false teeth to cover the natural gap in her two front teeth.
Ackie doesn’t sing most songs in the film — she lip syncs to Houston’s perfect tracks instead — but she mimics Houston’s style of singing with great detail. She steps in for performances by Houston that were not recorded, such as “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” and “Jesus Loves Me” from her choir-singing days. Ackie also portrays a nervous Whitney who is thrust onstage by her mother, who knows Clive Davis is in attendance,...
Working with movement coach Polly Bennett and vocal coaches Tangela Large, Bridgette Jackson and Denise Woods, Ackie also underwent physical transformation with the help of numerous wigs and false teeth to cover the natural gap in her two front teeth.
Ackie doesn’t sing most songs in the film — she lip syncs to Houston’s perfect tracks instead — but she mimics Houston’s style of singing with great detail. She steps in for performances by Houston that were not recorded, such as “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” and “Jesus Loves Me” from her choir-singing days. Ackie also portrays a nervous Whitney who is thrust onstage by her mother, who knows Clive Davis is in attendance,...
- 12/28/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
June Blair, who portrayed the wife of her real-life husband, David Nelson, on the reality-bending ABC family comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died. She was 90.
Blair died Monday of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, her daughter-in-law Susan Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Shortly after posing as Playboy‘s Playmate of the Month in January 1957, the redheaded Blair starred as a woman mixed up in a complex theft of narcotics in the film noir Hell Bound (1957), starring John Russell.
Then, in 1959 releases, she portrayed a vulnerable secretary at a construction firm in The Rabbit Trap, starring Ernest Borgnine, and was one of three daughters of a nuclear scientist (future Batman butler Alan Napier) — Venetia Stevenson and Diane Jergens were the others — in Island of Lost Women.
Blair had just come off a turn as a saloonkeeper on the...
June Blair, who portrayed the wife of her real-life husband, David Nelson, on the reality-bending ABC family comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died. She was 90.
Blair died Monday of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, her daughter-in-law Susan Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Shortly after posing as Playboy‘s Playmate of the Month in January 1957, the redheaded Blair starred as a woman mixed up in a complex theft of narcotics in the film noir Hell Bound (1957), starring John Russell.
Then, in 1959 releases, she portrayed a vulnerable secretary at a construction firm in The Rabbit Trap, starring Ernest Borgnine, and was one of three daughters of a nuclear scientist (future Batman butler Alan Napier) — Venetia Stevenson and Diane Jergens were the others — in Island of Lost Women.
Blair had just come off a turn as a saloonkeeper on the...
- 12/10/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the way it avoided a conventional timeline or stories behind the making of some of his best-loved albums, Bob Dylan’s 2004 book Chronicles: Volume One wasn’t a remotely traditional memoir. And let’s not even start on the whirligig prose in his Sixties head-scratcher Tarantula. Next to them, his third book, The Philosophy of Modern Song (which is out next week), would seem comparatively straightforward: essays on 66 of his favorite songs, billed, on its inner flap, as “a master class on the art and craft of songwriting.”
Dylan...
Dylan...
- 10/27/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Art Laboe, the DJ and music promoter who spent 79 continuous years on the radio, was an innovator of the compilation album and coined and trademarked the term “Oldies but Goodies,” has died. He was 97.
Laboe died peacefully Friday at his home in Palm Springs after a brief bout with pneumonia, Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for his production company, Dart Entertainment, announced.
He was on the air as recently as Sunday night with his pre-recorded The Art Laboe Connection, the syndicated program that he launched in 1991.
“My favorite place to be is behind that microphone,” Laboe said. “I have one of the best jobs in the world, playing the music, interacting with our listeners, doing their dedications and connecting them with their loved ones.”
One of the first DJs to play R&b and rock ‘n’ roll on Los Angeles/West Coast radio, Laboe...
Art Laboe, the DJ and music promoter who spent 79 continuous years on the radio, was an innovator of the compilation album and coined and trademarked the term “Oldies but Goodies,” has died. He was 97.
Laboe died peacefully Friday at his home in Palm Springs after a brief bout with pneumonia, Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for his production company, Dart Entertainment, announced.
He was on the air as recently as Sunday night with his pre-recorded The Art Laboe Connection, the syndicated program that he launched in 1991.
“My favorite place to be is behind that microphone,” Laboe said. “I have one of the best jobs in the world, playing the music, interacting with our listeners, doing their dedications and connecting them with their loved ones.”
One of the first DJs to play R&b and rock ‘n’ roll on Los Angeles/West Coast radio, Laboe...
- 10/10/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Apple’s upcoming limited series “The Big Cigar” has cast P.J. Byrne in a series regular role, Variety has learned exclusively.
The six-episode series stars André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton. It is based on the Playboy magazine article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman and tells the true story of how Newton relied on his best friend, Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola), the Hollywood producer behind “Easy Rider,” to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.
The cast also includes Tiffany Boone and Marc Menchaca.
Byrne will appear in the series as Steve Blauner. Blauner was a partner of Schneider’s and Bob Rafelson in Bbs Productions and was also well known as the manager of music superstar Bobby Darin. Blauner was previously played by John Goodman in the film “Beyond the Sea.”
Byrne recently appeared in...
The six-episode series stars André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton. It is based on the Playboy magazine article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman and tells the true story of how Newton relied on his best friend, Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola), the Hollywood producer behind “Easy Rider,” to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.
The cast also includes Tiffany Boone and Marc Menchaca.
Byrne will appear in the series as Steve Blauner. Blauner was a partner of Schneider’s and Bob Rafelson in Bbs Productions and was also well known as the manager of music superstar Bobby Darin. Blauner was previously played by John Goodman in the film “Beyond the Sea.”
Byrne recently appeared in...
- 7/6/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Bobby Rydell, one of the first music idols to spur teen fandom in the Fifties and Sixties, has died at age 79. His death was caused by complications from pneumonia, a rep for the artist confirmed in a statement.
“He had the best pipes,” his good friend and radio legend Jerry Blavat told the Inquirer. “He could do Sinatra, he could do anything… He could do comedy. He played the drums. He was a great mimic… He could have been as big as Bobby Darin, but he didn’t want to leave Philadelphia.
“He had the best pipes,” his good friend and radio legend Jerry Blavat told the Inquirer. “He could do Sinatra, he could do anything… He could do comedy. He played the drums. He was a great mimic… He could have been as big as Bobby Darin, but he didn’t want to leave Philadelphia.
- 4/5/2022
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
(Warning: This piece includes minor spoilers for “A Quiet Place — Part II”).
The opening shots of “A Quiet Place – Part II” do not immediately give away that we are witnessing the day the Abbott family was forced into silence by deadly creatures from another world. And that makes it all the more shocking when Lee Abbott’s truck arrives on a seemingly deserted street, the sound of its engine and the slam of its door echoing through the theater with an unnatural, ominous loudness.
It is the first of countless sounds developed by the film’s sound team, led by Ethan Van Der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, who earned acclaim with the original 2018 film for turning even the simplest of sounds – crows flying or a glass bottle breaking – into potential triggers for another heart-pounding alien attack.
“It was so thrilling for us to work on that prologue where the audience...
The opening shots of “A Quiet Place – Part II” do not immediately give away that we are witnessing the day the Abbott family was forced into silence by deadly creatures from another world. And that makes it all the more shocking when Lee Abbott’s truck arrives on a seemingly deserted street, the sound of its engine and the slam of its door echoing through the theater with an unnatural, ominous loudness.
It is the first of countless sounds developed by the film’s sound team, led by Ethan Van Der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, who earned acclaim with the original 2018 film for turning even the simplest of sounds – crows flying or a glass bottle breaking – into potential triggers for another heart-pounding alien attack.
“It was so thrilling for us to work on that prologue where the audience...
- 6/2/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Contains major spoilers for A Quiet Place Part II.
John Krasinski’s follow up to his breakout horror hit A Quiet Place was due to hit cinemas in March last year, before Covid hit and took out the cinemas with it. But now A Quiet Place Part II has finally arrived on the big screen and it’s a noisier, more action-packed offering than the last. Picking up the morning after the first film ended, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe), with the new born baby who they keep in a box, have to abandon their destroyed farmstead and head into the world looking for other signs of life. Before long they find Cillian Murphy’s Emmett, a man ravaged by tragedy and who needs coaxing back from his enforced isolation—which happens after he is forced to embark on a mission with Regan.
With Marcus...
John Krasinski’s follow up to his breakout horror hit A Quiet Place was due to hit cinemas in March last year, before Covid hit and took out the cinemas with it. But now A Quiet Place Part II has finally arrived on the big screen and it’s a noisier, more action-packed offering than the last. Picking up the morning after the first film ended, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe), with the new born baby who they keep in a box, have to abandon their destroyed farmstead and head into the world looking for other signs of life. Before long they find Cillian Murphy’s Emmett, a man ravaged by tragedy and who needs coaxing back from his enforced isolation—which happens after he is forced to embark on a mission with Regan.
With Marcus...
- 5/28/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
We begin at the beginning: It’s a lovely, late spring day in Smalltown USA. A tall, lanky man — let’s call him Lee Abbott — gets out of his truck and ducks into a small general store on Main Street. He walks through the aisles, past a shelf full of toy space shuttles, and grabs some bottles of water and snacks. The owner argues with a customer as Lee nods and whizzes out the door. In the background, news reports mention unusual phenomena happening in various cities.
At a Little...
At a Little...
- 5/25/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Marvel’s first full-length Eternals trailer doesn’t reveal much about the plot, but it sets a mood. The film is directed and co-written by Chloé Zhao, who won Best Picture and Best Director for Nomadland, a heart-wrenching journey through a desolate landscape. The song featured in the Eternals trailer has been evoking tragic isolation for years. It played on an endless loop in 1999’s Girl, Interrupted. It foretold the zombie apocalypse in the first teaser trailers for The Walking Dead. But the song has even sadder roots than that.
“Throughout the years we have never interfered, until now,” we hear a disembodied female voice (likely Salma Hayek’s Ajak) observe in the trailer. If gods or goddesses stopped bad things from happening to good people, a lot of great music may never exist. The music for the song “The End of the World” was composed by New York City-born Arthur Kent.
“Throughout the years we have never interfered, until now,” we hear a disembodied female voice (likely Salma Hayek’s Ajak) observe in the trailer. If gods or goddesses stopped bad things from happening to good people, a lot of great music may never exist. The music for the song “The End of the World” was composed by New York City-born Arthur Kent.
- 5/24/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wednesday’s “The Masked Dancer.”)
Fox’s “The Masked Dancer” revealed its Top 3 contestants with Wednesday’s episode, eliminating and unmasking one more competitor ahead of next week’s Season 1 finale.
During the hour, Tulip, Cotton Candy, Sloth and Zebra all took the stage to perform individual dances to their chosen songs.
After each of those contestants got on their feet, it was time for panelists Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale and guest judge Will Arnett to vote for their favorite dancers and, in doing so, determine which performer would be kicked off ahead of the Season 1 finals.
The contestant who came out on the bottom was Zebra, who did a dance to Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.” He was unmasked and revealed to be boxer Oscar De La Hoya. Arnett and Green correctly guessed that Zebra was De La Hoya,...
Fox’s “The Masked Dancer” revealed its Top 3 contestants with Wednesday’s episode, eliminating and unmasking one more competitor ahead of next week’s Season 1 finale.
During the hour, Tulip, Cotton Candy, Sloth and Zebra all took the stage to perform individual dances to their chosen songs.
After each of those contestants got on their feet, it was time for panelists Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale and guest judge Will Arnett to vote for their favorite dancers and, in doing so, determine which performer would be kicked off ahead of the Season 1 finals.
The contestant who came out on the bottom was Zebra, who did a dance to Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.” He was unmasked and revealed to be boxer Oscar De La Hoya. Arnett and Green correctly guessed that Zebra was De La Hoya,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
If boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya does return to the ring, you’ll have “The Masked Dancer” to thank.
De la Hoya was the next celebrity to be revealed on the show, as the person under the Zebra costume on Wednesday’s edition of the hit series. He was unmasked after dancing to Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife,” in tribute to a loved one he lost to cancer.
Asked to comment on whether he may come out of retirement to box again, de la Hoya was coy — but he did tell Variety that, “Let’s just say that Mike Tyson inspired me to train, to start training in the gym. I’ve actually been in the gym for the last about five months. And, you know, who knows, maybe the Zebra is making a comeback!”
De la Hoya said the pandemic did offer him time to focus on training as well.
De la Hoya was the next celebrity to be revealed on the show, as the person under the Zebra costume on Wednesday’s edition of the hit series. He was unmasked after dancing to Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife,” in tribute to a loved one he lost to cancer.
Asked to comment on whether he may come out of retirement to box again, de la Hoya was coy — but he did tell Variety that, “Let’s just say that Mike Tyson inspired me to train, to start training in the gym. I’ve actually been in the gym for the last about five months. And, you know, who knows, maybe the Zebra is making a comeback!”
De la Hoya said the pandemic did offer him time to focus on training as well.
- 2/11/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Perry Botkin Jr., the Grammy-winning composer behind “The Young and the Restless” theme song, died on Monday, his publicist confirmed. He was 87.
A TV and film composer whose work dominated the ’60s and ’70s, Botkin composed and arranged theme music and scores for hit series like “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy” and “The Smothers Brothers Show.”
The theme song for “The Young and the Restless,” best known as “Nadia’s Theme” for its association with Olympic gymnast Nadia Comăneci, was an original rearrangement of a piece he co-wrote with Barry De Vorzon and later earned him a Grammy award for best instrumental arrangement.
On film, Botkin’s credits include “Goin’ South,” “Skyjacked,” “Tarzan the Ape Man,” “They Only Kill Their Masters” and 1971’s “Bless the Beasts and Children,” for which he received a “Best Original Song” Oscar nomination for the title song performed by The Carpenters.
Botkin...
A TV and film composer whose work dominated the ’60s and ’70s, Botkin composed and arranged theme music and scores for hit series like “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy” and “The Smothers Brothers Show.”
The theme song for “The Young and the Restless,” best known as “Nadia’s Theme” for its association with Olympic gymnast Nadia Comăneci, was an original rearrangement of a piece he co-wrote with Barry De Vorzon and later earned him a Grammy award for best instrumental arrangement.
On film, Botkin’s credits include “Goin’ South,” “Skyjacked,” “Tarzan the Ape Man,” “They Only Kill Their Masters” and 1971’s “Bless the Beasts and Children,” for which he received a “Best Original Song” Oscar nomination for the title song performed by The Carpenters.
Botkin...
- 1/23/2021
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
This show has everything going for it, in fact, it has Too much going for it: tragic drama, silly comedy, bland heart-tugs and saucy romance. Everybody’s working across purposes, with ‘stunt’ guest star Bobby Darin preening for awards attention. Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis and Eddie Albert are terrific but are acting in different movies; and Gregory Peck seems out of his depth altogether. Does it keep our attention? You bet. Does it work? I’m not so sure.
Captain Newman, M.D.
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1963 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 126 min. / Street Date January 5, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, Bobby Darin, Eddie Albert, Robert Duvall, Bethel Leslie, Dick Sargent, James Gregory, Larry Storch, Jane Withers, Vito Scotti, Gregory Walcott, Ann Doran, Martin West, David Winters.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Alma Macrorie
Music: Frank Skinner
Written by Richard L. Breen, Phoebe & Henry Ephron from...
Captain Newman, M.D.
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1963 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 126 min. / Street Date January 5, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, Bobby Darin, Eddie Albert, Robert Duvall, Bethel Leslie, Dick Sargent, James Gregory, Larry Storch, Jane Withers, Vito Scotti, Gregory Walcott, Ann Doran, Martin West, David Winters.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Alma Macrorie
Music: Frank Skinner
Written by Richard L. Breen, Phoebe & Henry Ephron from...
- 1/5/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Pamela Tiffin, star of the 1962 remake of “State Fair” who enjoyed major success in the U.S. and Italy before retiring from acting in 1974, died Friday of natural causes. She was 78.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tiffin was hospitalized at the time of her death.
Born Pamela Tiffin Wonso in Oklahoma City but raised in Chicago, she began a public career as a teen model in the late 1950s. Her film career began during a trip to Los Angeles in 1961 when, while visiting the Paramount lot, she was spotted by powerhouse producer Hal B. Wallis and given a screen test.
She very quickly saw success as a burgeoning movie star, landing as her second film role one of the leads in Billy Wilder’s 1961 cold war comedy “One, Two, Three” starring James Cagney. She followed that up by landing the lead role of Margy Frake in the 1962 remake of the...
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tiffin was hospitalized at the time of her death.
Born Pamela Tiffin Wonso in Oklahoma City but raised in Chicago, she began a public career as a teen model in the late 1950s. Her film career began during a trip to Los Angeles in 1961 when, while visiting the Paramount lot, she was spotted by powerhouse producer Hal B. Wallis and given a screen test.
She very quickly saw success as a burgeoning movie star, landing as her second film role one of the leads in Billy Wilder’s 1961 cold war comedy “One, Two, Three” starring James Cagney. She followed that up by landing the lead role of Margy Frake in the 1962 remake of the...
- 12/5/2020
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Sandy Dvore, the Emmy-winning graphic artist whose whose opening credit designs for such programs as The Young and the Restless, The Partridge Family and The Waltons are among TV’s most recognizable images, died Nov. 20 after a recent diagnosis of bone cancer. He was 86.
His death was announced by a family representative on Dvore’s official Instagram page. “He was at home where he wanted to be with [his dog] Kid and family,” according to the statement. “Someone was with him and holding his hand as he passed.”
Dvore, who studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, won an Emmy Award in 1987 for his main title design for the Carol Burnett special Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1984 for the opening title credits of The Young and the Restless featuring his now-iconic brush stroke “Y&r” logo, but later said he was told that...
His death was announced by a family representative on Dvore’s official Instagram page. “He was at home where he wanted to be with [his dog] Kid and family,” according to the statement. “Someone was with him and holding his hand as he passed.”
Dvore, who studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, won an Emmy Award in 1987 for his main title design for the Carol Burnett special Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1984 for the opening title credits of The Young and the Restless featuring his now-iconic brush stroke “Y&r” logo, but later said he was told that...
- 11/23/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Al Kasha, the Academy Award-winning composer who, along with songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn, won Oscars for the soft rock disaster movie classics “The Morning After” and “We May Never Love Like This Again,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 83.
His death was announced by spokesperson Deborah Radel. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Dominating music charts – and Oscar’s Best Original Song category – in 1973 with “The Morning After,” from The Poseidon Adventure, and again in ’75 with “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno, Kasha and Hirschhorn returned to film songwriting with 1977’s Disney classic Pete’s Dragon. The duo was Oscar-nominated for that song score and the song “Candle On The Water,” sung by Pete’s Dragon star Helen Reddy.
For his Broadway stage work, Kasha received Tony Award nominations for the scores of 1981’s Copperfield and 1982’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Both Broadway productions were short-lived,...
His death was announced by spokesperson Deborah Radel. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Dominating music charts – and Oscar’s Best Original Song category – in 1973 with “The Morning After,” from The Poseidon Adventure, and again in ’75 with “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno, Kasha and Hirschhorn returned to film songwriting with 1977’s Disney classic Pete’s Dragon. The duo was Oscar-nominated for that song score and the song “Candle On The Water,” sung by Pete’s Dragon star Helen Reddy.
For his Broadway stage work, Kasha received Tony Award nominations for the scores of 1981’s Copperfield and 1982’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Both Broadway productions were short-lived,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Al Kasha, the songwriter who won Academy Awards in the 1970s for co-writing hit ballads for “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 83. No cause of death was immediately given.
As part of a songwriting team with Joel Hirschhorn, Kasha received two Tony nominations, four Golden Globe nods and a People’s Choice award, plus a pair of additional Oscar nominations for “Pete’s Dragon” in addition to the duo’s two wins for the Irwin Allen disaster movies.
“Write in Power,” tweeted Diane Warren, who succeeded Kasha as movie-theme royalty. “A great songwriter and lovely man,” she said, adding a broken-heart emoji.
“The Morning After,” from 1972’s “The Poseidon Adventure,” is still remembered as one of the more indelible movie themes of all time, either despite or because of the fact that it appeared within the body of the film, being sung on...
As part of a songwriting team with Joel Hirschhorn, Kasha received two Tony nominations, four Golden Globe nods and a People’s Choice award, plus a pair of additional Oscar nominations for “Pete’s Dragon” in addition to the duo’s two wins for the Irwin Allen disaster movies.
“Write in Power,” tweeted Diane Warren, who succeeded Kasha as movie-theme royalty. “A great songwriter and lovely man,” she said, adding a broken-heart emoji.
“The Morning After,” from 1972’s “The Poseidon Adventure,” is still remembered as one of the more indelible movie themes of all time, either despite or because of the fact that it appeared within the body of the film, being sung on...
- 9/15/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Connery helped redefine movie stardom thanks to his role as James Bond, an impossibly suave super-spy with a taste for martinis that were shaken, not stirred. In films like “Dr. No,” “Goldfinger,” and “You Only Live Twice,” the Scottish actor created a template for a fresh and exciting action hero, one whose womanizing, hard-drinking ways and penchant to solve any dispute with the barrel of a Walther Ppk presaged a new and more permissive era of on-screen sex and violence.
The man who would be 007 turns 90 on Tuesday and has been off the silver screen since opting to retire in 2003 after appearing in the execrable “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” (Why do the great ones go out with a whimper? Here’s looking at you Gene Hackman/”Welcome to Mooseport”). However, his legacy continues to reverberate — it can be felt in everything from Tom Cruise’s globe-trotting “Mission: Impossible...
The man who would be 007 turns 90 on Tuesday and has been off the silver screen since opting to retire in 2003 after appearing in the execrable “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” (Why do the great ones go out with a whimper? Here’s looking at you Gene Hackman/”Welcome to Mooseport”). However, his legacy continues to reverberate — it can be felt in everything from Tom Cruise’s globe-trotting “Mission: Impossible...
- 8/25/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy can’t be a cheap show to make. This superhero story is based on an ambitious, colorful comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá and as such it features big action setpieces, depictions of superpowers, and even a talking chimp or two.
Still it’s hard to imagine any portion of The Umbrella Academy’s budget is larger than the music clearance department. The series features a moody score from Jeff Russo but also a truly stunning amount of pop hits. The Umbrella Academy made its musical intentions clear in its first episode with the now-beloved dance scene set to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” And the show’s investment in soundtrack and music has only grown from there.
“Music is such an important thing to me and I really take time to pick the songs,” showrunner Steve Blackman says.
“We...
Still it’s hard to imagine any portion of The Umbrella Academy’s budget is larger than the music clearance department. The series features a moody score from Jeff Russo but also a truly stunning amount of pop hits. The Umbrella Academy made its musical intentions clear in its first episode with the now-beloved dance scene set to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” And the show’s investment in soundtrack and music has only grown from there.
“Music is such an important thing to me and I really take time to pick the songs,” showrunner Steve Blackman says.
“We...
- 7/31/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
As far as movies about shattered states of masculinity go, you can’t get any more raw, personal, or up-close than John Cassavetes’ 1970 “Husbands.” The filmmaker’s meandering, laidback style is well-suited to this chamber dramedy led by Cassavetes and his pals Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara. While storytelling in 2020 is pivoting fiercely away from tales of white, straight male egos, it’s fascinating to look back at “Husbands” as a cracked reflection of the times.
In 1971, feminist author and activist Betty Friedan wrote an editorial for The New York Times hailing “Husbands” as “the strongest statement of the case for women’s liberation I have yet seen on stage or screen,” and that the film tackled “the alienation, loneliness, [and] un-met need...
As far as movies about shattered states of masculinity go, you can’t get any more raw, personal, or up-close than John Cassavetes’ 1970 “Husbands.” The filmmaker’s meandering, laidback style is well-suited to this chamber dramedy led by Cassavetes and his pals Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara. While storytelling in 2020 is pivoting fiercely away from tales of white, straight male egos, it’s fascinating to look back at “Husbands” as a cracked reflection of the times.
In 1971, feminist author and activist Betty Friedan wrote an editorial for The New York Times hailing “Husbands” as “the strongest statement of the case for women’s liberation I have yet seen on stage or screen,” and that the film tackled “the alienation, loneliness, [and] un-met need...
- 6/30/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Stanley Kramer’s executive secretary Leah Bernstein died on Thursday of complications from coronavirus at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles. She was 99.
She is the sixth Mptf resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan, Allen Daviau and Joel Rogosin. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Bernstein also served as executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She worked on 28 films with Kramer and counted Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, and Vivien Leigh among her friends. In a 2015 interview, she said, “I remember Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney playing outside the window,...
She is the sixth Mptf resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan, Allen Daviau and Joel Rogosin. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Bernstein also served as executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She worked on 28 films with Kramer and counted Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, and Vivien Leigh among her friends. In a 2015 interview, she said, “I remember Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney playing outside the window,...
- 4/24/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Leah Bernstein, the former executive secretary to producer-director Stanley Kramer, has died of coronavirus-related complications at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s skilled nursing home in Woodland Hills. She was 99.
Bernstein is the sixth retiree to die of Covid-19 at the Woodland Hills facility, despite the staff’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
More from Deadline'Magnum P.I.,' ‘77 Sunset Strip’ Producer Joel Rogosin Is Fifth Mptf Motion Picture Home Resident To Die Of CoronavirusThe Cruel Ageism Of Covid-19 Threatens To Temporarily Purge Older Actors From The ScreenL.A. County Coronavirus Update: Daily Number of Deaths Drops; Seniors Now A Major Focus
During her long career in Hollywood, Bernstein also worked as the executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s longtime manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She had lived in the Mary Pickford House on the Motion Picture campus for the past two years.
Bernstein was born...
Bernstein is the sixth retiree to die of Covid-19 at the Woodland Hills facility, despite the staff’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
More from Deadline'Magnum P.I.,' ‘77 Sunset Strip’ Producer Joel Rogosin Is Fifth Mptf Motion Picture Home Resident To Die Of CoronavirusThe Cruel Ageism Of Covid-19 Threatens To Temporarily Purge Older Actors From The ScreenL.A. County Coronavirus Update: Daily Number of Deaths Drops; Seniors Now A Major Focus
During her long career in Hollywood, Bernstein also worked as the executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s longtime manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She had lived in the Mary Pickford House on the Motion Picture campus for the past two years.
Bernstein was born...
- 4/24/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Brian Wilson and Mike Love met up and, in a half hour, wrote “The Warmth of the Sun,” triggered by the events of that day. But as Bob Dylan’s new epic “Murder Most Foul” shows, that Beach Boys song was the first, but far from the last, pop song recounting, or ruminating on, Kennedy’s death on November 22nd, 1963.
Across decades, artists, and genres, Kennedy’s murder has brought out an array of reactions, reflections and indignation in the pop world – sometimes...
Across decades, artists, and genres, Kennedy’s murder has brought out an array of reactions, reflections and indignation in the pop world – sometimes...
- 3/27/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Gary LeMel, a longtime president of music at Warner Bros. Pictures whom the Los Angeles Times once called “the father of the compilation soundtrack album,” died July 6 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 80.
Film agent Richard Kraft called him “a true giant in the film music industry.” Songwriters Hall of Fame member Steve Dorff described LeMel as “an amazing music man (and) a true friend who made an indelible contribution to my career.” Tom Sturges, a former top exec at Universal Music and other publishing companies, called him “one of the great music execs in the film business, ever. He treated me with the greatest respect at every meeting, took every call and listened to every song and artist I pitched him. Truly one of a kind.”
LeMel’s wife of almost 47 years, Maddy LeMel, a visual artist, told Variety she was staggered by the amount of testimonials coming in.
Film agent Richard Kraft called him “a true giant in the film music industry.” Songwriters Hall of Fame member Steve Dorff described LeMel as “an amazing music man (and) a true friend who made an indelible contribution to my career.” Tom Sturges, a former top exec at Universal Music and other publishing companies, called him “one of the great music execs in the film business, ever. He treated me with the greatest respect at every meeting, took every call and listened to every song and artist I pitched him. Truly one of a kind.”
LeMel’s wife of almost 47 years, Maddy LeMel, a visual artist, told Variety she was staggered by the amount of testimonials coming in.
- 7/12/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Sokol May 28, 2019
Andrew Slater's documentary Echo in the Canyon twiddles the knobs in the Laurel Canyon studios that gave birth to the California Sound.
Before forming the Byrds, Roger McGuinn backed up Bobby Darin, the "Dream Lover" who let "Mack the Knife" swing. The Bronx-born rock and roll legend was adding folk and protest music into his live shows and saw McGuinn playing guitar and making faces behind the Chad Mitchell Trio when they were opening for Lenny Bruce at the Crescendo night club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. By the time The Beatles hit, McGuinn played, sang harmonies and trained as a professional songwriter under the rock and roll innovator. After the British Invasion, McGuinn consolidated the folk rock sound, first by playing Beatles' songs on solo guitar in folk clubs and then by plugging a 12-string guitar onto a Bob Dylan song. Andrew Slater's loving documentary...
Andrew Slater's documentary Echo in the Canyon twiddles the knobs in the Laurel Canyon studios that gave birth to the California Sound.
Before forming the Byrds, Roger McGuinn backed up Bobby Darin, the "Dream Lover" who let "Mack the Knife" swing. The Bronx-born rock and roll legend was adding folk and protest music into his live shows and saw McGuinn playing guitar and making faces behind the Chad Mitchell Trio when they were opening for Lenny Bruce at the Crescendo night club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. By the time The Beatles hit, McGuinn played, sang harmonies and trained as a professional songwriter under the rock and roll innovator. After the British Invasion, McGuinn consolidated the folk rock sound, first by playing Beatles' songs on solo guitar in folk clubs and then by plugging a 12-string guitar onto a Bob Dylan song. Andrew Slater's loving documentary...
- 5/24/2019
- Den of Geek
Dua Lipa rode a track from her self-titled debut album to the best new artist award, winning over Grammy voters with her New Rules for dealing with an unfaithful lover.
The unlikely duo of Bob Newhart and Alessia Cara presented the award. Newhart won Best New Artist for a 1961 comedy album, while Cara won the award last year. She told the comedian that her great-grandmother had all his albums, with Newhart feigning outrage as she kept upping the age of her relatives who enjoyed his work.
Less playful were remarks from the category winner, as Lipa threw some shade at outgoing pesident Neil Portnow. “I guess we really stepped it up this year,” Lipa said, a reference to the much-criticized comments by former Recording Academy President Neil Portnow, who announced his plan to leave the job after his comments last year about the dearth of female nominees were characterized as clumsy at best,...
The unlikely duo of Bob Newhart and Alessia Cara presented the award. Newhart won Best New Artist for a 1961 comedy album, while Cara won the award last year. She told the comedian that her great-grandmother had all his albums, with Newhart feigning outrage as she kept upping the age of her relatives who enjoyed his work.
Less playful were remarks from the category winner, as Lipa threw some shade at outgoing pesident Neil Portnow. “I guess we really stepped it up this year,” Lipa said, a reference to the much-criticized comments by former Recording Academy President Neil Portnow, who announced his plan to leave the job after his comments last year about the dearth of female nominees were characterized as clumsy at best,...
- 2/11/2019
- by Geoff Boucher and Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Sal Valentinetti only made it to fifth place on season 11 of “America’s Got Talent.” But the old fashioned crooner has made a name for himself since then, with sell-out concerts across the country. He returned to compete on the fifth episode of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” He had the whole crowd clapping along to his cover of Bobby Darin‘s signature tune “Mack the Knife.” Watch his swinging performance of this song in the video above.
Back in 2016, Sal got the Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum for his heartfelt cover of another 1960s hit, the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way.” Although he is only 23, Sal has an old soul and loves singing the standards. He looks like a big band singer in his white tuxedo.
Watch Shin Lim perform mind-blowing magic card tricks on ‘Agt: The Champions’
As our live blogger John Benutty observed, “Heidi was most...
Back in 2016, Sal got the Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum for his heartfelt cover of another 1960s hit, the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way.” Although he is only 23, Sal has an old soul and loves singing the standards. He looks like a big band singer in his white tuxedo.
Watch Shin Lim perform mind-blowing magic card tricks on ‘Agt: The Champions’
As our live blogger John Benutty observed, “Heidi was most...
- 2/5/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
A few months before the film version of “The Sound of Music” hit the silver screen, a song plugger working the catalog of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein approached label owner Dave Kapp with a plan to turn one of the songs from the score into a hit single, thinking it would boost the box office potential of the movie. That resulted in Jack Jones recording “My Favorite Things” for his first Christmas album, but the song did not become a hit. That song plugger’s dream finally comes true this week, some 54 years after the film’s release, as “My Favorite Things” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to a reinterpretation by Ariana Grande on her new single, “7 Rings.”
Grande updated the lyrics of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein classic after a shopping spree at Tiffany’s, transforming “Raindrops on roses/And whiskers on kittens/Bright...
Grande updated the lyrics of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein classic after a shopping spree at Tiffany’s, transforming “Raindrops on roses/And whiskers on kittens/Bright...
- 1/29/2019
- by Fred Bronson
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Kurland Jan 14, 2019
Horror icon Lin Shaye stars in a new horror film from the creator of Final Destination, and we’ve got an exclusive look!
It’s always exciting when a horror film can think up a truly unique premise to draw its scares from—though we just as easily love when reliable staples from the genre are reconfigured to popular (and often gruesome) delight. Yet the ideal situation is when the best of both worlds can blend like so much blood and terror, and an old fashioned idea can be spun off in a radically new and exciting direction. That’s exactly what appears to be happening in the upcoming The Final Wish.
The Final Wish taps into that karmic retribution horror that makes the simple monkey's paw archetype still so effective. When Aaron Hammond (Michael Welch) returns home to help his mother (Lin Shaye) after the death of his father,...
Horror icon Lin Shaye stars in a new horror film from the creator of Final Destination, and we’ve got an exclusive look!
It’s always exciting when a horror film can think up a truly unique premise to draw its scares from—though we just as easily love when reliable staples from the genre are reconfigured to popular (and often gruesome) delight. Yet the ideal situation is when the best of both worlds can blend like so much blood and terror, and an old fashioned idea can be spun off in a radically new and exciting direction. That’s exactly what appears to be happening in the upcoming The Final Wish.
The Final Wish taps into that karmic retribution horror that makes the simple monkey's paw archetype still so effective. When Aaron Hammond (Michael Welch) returns home to help his mother (Lin Shaye) after the death of his father,...
- 1/14/2019
- Den of Geek
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