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Eve Golden – John Gilbert Biography - Now Online at Classic Movie Favorites

Over at my John Gilbert section of Classic Movie Favorites, I have just uploaded my interview with Eve Golden. 

Here is the introduction to that interview with links 

at the bottom taking you to each of the four sections of the interview.

Introduction  

I have been fascinated by John Gilbert since I first heard about him. And, what I heard wasn’t very flattering. All I knew about him, at the time, was that he failed to transition from silent to sound films for the reason that he had a high voice. I just had to find out for myself if this was true. Turns out that it wasn’t.

I got so fascinated by his story that I created a section here on Classic Movie Favorites about him.

Even with having done so much research about him for CMF, until reading Eve Golden's new biography titled, John Gilbert - The Last of the Silent Film Stars, I never really completely understood why he was considered to be such a liability by MGM or, why the studio hadn't helped him through the transition as they did with Greta Garbo.  At the time of his demise, he was still very handsome and highly talented, so why was he abandoned by the studio he had made so much money for? I thought his life tragic, so I wanted to know more.

The only book I had read on Gilbert until recently, was his daughter, Leatrice Gilbert Fountain’s book, “Dark Star.” Her account of her father’s life was a good one, but I still didn't find convincing answers to my questions about Gilbert’s failure in film. So, when Eve Golden’s book came out, I bought it right away. I also immediately contacted her and asked if she would be willing to be interviewed, and thankfully she said, "yes."

When we spoke, I was happy to find out that we have similar roots, both coming from Philadelphia and each of us huge classic movie fans who grew up sneaking into the living room to watch the "Late, Late show" on TV when we were supposed to be in bed. For us both, that love for classic film has never faded.

Until the last few years, I was never really interested in silent film, preferring sound films. But, now I've gained a new appreciation for silent films through meeting the great Kevin Brownlow, watching his documentary "Hollywood," and through films by stars such as the great, Garbo and of course, John Gilbert. My first viewing of a Garbo/Gilbert silent was "Flesh and the Devil," which is now one of my favorite films.

Here's the waltz scene from Flesh and the Devil:

My interview with Eve Golden took place last month and it was a joy. Below are just a few quotes from Eve that I wanted to particularly highlight from our discussion.

On watching silent films, Eve Golden says:

"You have to really sit still and pay attention, and its best with the lights out and it really takes you into another world, the way the talkies don’t."

On the transition from silent to sound films, Eve Golden says: 

"It’s funny because one of the things I liked about writing about John Gilbert was that whole change over from silent to sound that culturally never happened before or since where in a period of just three years, an entire art form died and an entire new art form was born, which is why you have films like Sunset Boulevard. When you look at Sunset Boulevard, you realize that Gloria Swanson [and her character, Norma Desmond] is still a young woman; she’s not even 50 and she’s talking about a period that’s only thirty years ago, like us talking about the 1990’s and yet, the silent era is like talking about the age of Louis the 16th."

For those who don't know much about Gilbert's career, before you read the interview, I suggest you watch this episode of Kevin Brownlow's documentary, "Hollywood." This episode features two of the biggest starts of the silent era who didn't make the transition to sound films, Clara Bow and John Gilbert. 

Clara Bow is featured first, and John Gilbert's portion starts at 18:24 minutes in. 

This interview with Eve is a long one that I have divided into four parts. Click on the links below to read each section:

• Part 1 - About Gilbert - From lowly beginnings to superstar
• Part 2 - Gilbert's film career - Silent to Sound
• Part 3 - Gilbert’s demise - The perfect storm of awfulness
• Part 4 - About the author - Eve Golden

The Story of Film: An Odyssey Premieres on TCM September 2

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will begin showing a new documentary called, The Story of Film: An Odyssey a 15-part documentary by film historian Mark Cousins premiering Monday, September 2nd at 10pm ET.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey is an unprecedented cinematic event, an epic journey through the history of world cinema that is a treat for movie lovers around the globe. Guided by film historian Mark Cousins, on whose book the series is based, this bold 15-part love letter to the movies begins with the invention of motion pictures at the end of the 19th century and concludes with the multi-billion dollar globalized digital industry of the 21st. The Story of Film: An Odyssey heralds a unique approach to the evolution of film art by focusing on the artistic vision and innovations of filmmaking pioneers. Cousins' distinctive approach also yields a personal and idiosyncratic rewriting of film history.

Filmed at key locations in film history on every continent – from Thomas Edison's New Jersey laboratory to Hitchcock's London and from post-war Rome to the thriving industry of modern-day Mumbai – this landmark documentary is filled with glorious clips from some of the greatest movies ever made. It also features interviews with legendary filmmakers and actors, including Stanley Donen, Kyoko Kagawa, Gus Van Sant, Lars Von Trier, Wim Wenders, Abbas Kiarostami, Claire Denis, Bernardo Bertolucci, Robert Towne, Jane Campion and Claudia Cardinale. 

The Story of Film: An Odyssey was written, directed and narrated by Mark Cousins, with Tabitha Jackson serving as executive producer and John Archer as producer. The series was produced by Hopscotch Films. 

Watch the trailer for it below:  

 

source: TCM.com

TCM to feature Barbara Stanwyck and Claudette Colbert DVD collections

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Universal Studios Home Entertainment are joining forces on TCM Showcase, a brand new line of value-priced DVD sets featuring legendary stars in iconic roles. 

Available exclusively through TCM's online store (http://shop.tcm.com), the TCM Showcase collection has launched with DVD sets celebrating two of the brightest stars ever to grace the Silver Screen – Claudette Colbert and Barbara Stanwyck.

The TCM Showcase DVD collection marks a new phase in TCM's ongoing partnership with Universal Studios Home Entertainment, a collaboration that began with the launch of the TCM Vault Collection in 2009. While the TCM Vault Collection focuses on rare and hard-to-find titles, the TCM Showcase collection offers Hollywood's greatest stars in the roles that made them legends.

Each DVD set released under the TCM Showcase banner includes four films. 

First out of the starting gate is TCM Showcase: Barbara Stanwyck, featuring the tough and versatile actress in The Lady Eve (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), All I Desire (1953) and There's Always Tomorrow (1956). 

Also available, TCM Showcase: Claudette Colbert features the playful and sophisticated Colbert in Cleopatra (1934), Imitation of Life (1934), Midnight (1939) and The Palm Beach Story (1942).

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

TCM Showcase: Barbara Stanwyck and TCM Showcase: Claudette Colbert are on sale now through the TCM store. Each set is available for the special low price of $24.99, 17% off the suggested retail price.

source: tcm.com

Clark Gable is featured on Summer Under The Stars on TCM 8/25

One of the featured actors on Classicmoviefavorites.com Clark Gable is featured on August 25 all day on Turner Classic Movies, TCM.

The films they will feature next Sunday are listed below. Those with links are featured on Classicmoviefavorites.com in various sections.


SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 CLARK GABLE

•  6:00 AM Dance, Fools, Dance (1931)
•  7:30 AM Laughing Sinners (1931)
•  8:45 AM Possessed (1931)
• 10:15 AM Chained (1934)
• 11:45 AM Cain and Mabel (1936)
•  1:15 PM Test Pilot (1938)
•  3:30 PM Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
•  6:00 PM Mogambo (1953)
•  8:00 PM It Happened One Night (1934) (also Essentials, Jr.)
•  10:00 PM Too Hot to Handle (1938)
• 12:00 AM Strange Cargo (1940)
•  2:00 AM The Hucksters (1947)
•  4:00 AM Betrayed (1954)

Bette Davis featured on TCM, Wednesday, August 14, 2013

This Wednesday, August 14  is Bette Davis day on TCM.  Below is a list of the films they will show that day including interviews. A must for all Bette Davis fans.

6:00 AM - PARACHUTE JUMPER (1933) A gangster victimizes three friends trying to get jobs.

Dir: Alfred E. Green Cast:  Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bette Davis, Frank McHugh. BW-72 mins, TV-G,

7:30 AM - GIRL FROM 10TH AVENUE, THE (1935) After a working girl reforms an alcoholic lawyer who was recently dumped, his ex wants him back. Dir: Alfred E. Green Cast:  Bette Davis, Ian Hunter, Colin Clive. BW-69 mins, TV-G,

9:00 - AM DANGEROUS (1935) A young fan tries to rehabilitate an alcoholic actress he's fallen in love with.

Dir: Alfred E. Green Cast:  Bette Davis, Franchot Tone, Margaret Lindsay. BW-79 mins, TV-G, CC,

10:30 - AM STARDUST: THE BETTE DAVIS STORY (2005) TCM original documentary that explores the life and career of legendary actress Bette Davis. C-88 mins, TV-14, CC,

12:00 PM - JEZEBEL (1938) A tempestuous Southern belle's willfulness threatens to destroy all who care for her. Dir: William Wyler Cast:  Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent. BW-104 mins, TV-PG, CC,

2:00 PM - LETTER, THE (1940) A woman claims to have killed in self-defense, until a blackmailer turns up with incriminating evidence. Dir: William Wyler Cast:  Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson. BW-95 mins, TV-PG, CC,

3:45 PM - NOW, VOYAGER (1942) A repressed spinster is transformed by psychiatry and her love for a married man. Dir: Irving Rapper Cast:  Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains. BW-118 mins, TV-G, CC,

5:45 PM - WATCH ON THE RHINE (1943) Nazi agents pursue a German freedom-fighter and his family to Washington. Dir: Herman Shumlin Cast:  Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald.

BW-112 mins, TV-PG, CC,

7:45 PM - CARSON ON TCM: BETTE DAVIS (2/9/83) (2012) TCM presents a classic interview from The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. C-12 mins, TV-PG,

8:00 PM - EX-LADY (1933) A female artist is torn between her belief in free love and the constraints of romance.  Dir: Robert Florey Cast:  Bette Davis, Gene Raymond, Frank McHugh. BW-67 mins, TV-G,

9:15 PM - DARK VICTORY (1939) A flighty heiress discovers inner strength when she develops a brain tumor. Dir: Edmund Goulding Cast:  Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart. BW-104 mins, TV-PG, CC,

11:15 PM - MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, THE (1941) An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a midwestern family. Dir: William Keighley Cast:  Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Monty Woolley. BW-113 mins, TV-G, CC,

1:15 AM - DICK CAVETT SHOW, THE: BETTE DAVIS (1971) Bette Davis appears on The Dick Cavett Show in an interview that originally aired November 17, 1971. C-62 mins, TV-PG, CC,

2:30 AM - PAYMENT ON DEMAND (1951) A bitter divorcee thinks back on the mistakes that destroyed her marriage. Dir: Curtis Bernhardt Cast:  Bette Davis, Barry Sullivan, Jane Cowl.

BW-90 mins, TV-PG, CC,

4:15 AM - NANNY, THE (1965) A disturbed young man tries to prove his nanny is out to kill him.

Dir: Seth Holt Cast:  Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett. BW-93 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

Joan Fontaine Featured on TCM today - all day!

One of the stars featured on CMF is featured today on TCM with a day long tribute. They take a look at the career of Joan Fontaine, a star who got her start in the '30's but it wasn't until her breakout performance in REBECCA ('40) that she really became a household name. Don't miss BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT ('56) at 12:30pm ET.

We have a section here on CMF about Joan Fontaine, check it out here: http://classicmoviefavorites.com/fontaine.

source: TCM.com

Summer Under the Stars on TCM during August

Every year, I look forward to the month long "Summer Under The Stars" on Turner Classic Movies which takes place every August. Well the festival is just about to begin. Every day of the month a different star is highlighted and it's almost time for that to begin.

Three stars featured on Classic Movie Favorites will have full day tributes this year. They will feature Joan Fontaine on August 6, Bette Davis on August 14 and Clark Gable on August 25.



TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 JOAN FONTAINE

• 6:00 AM Music for Madame (1937) 
• 7:30 AM A Damsel in Distress (1937) 
• 9:00 AM Born to Be Bad (1950) 
• 11:00 AM The Bigamist (1953) 
• 12:30 PM Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) 
• 2:00 PM Ivanhoe (1952) 
• 4:00 PM Gunga Din (1939) 
• 6:00 PM Suspicion (1941) 
• 8:00 PM Rebecca (1940) 
• 10:30 PM Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) 
• 12:15 AM This Above All (1942) 
• 2:15 AM The Constant Nymph  (1943)
• 4:15 AM Until They Sail (1957) 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14 BETTE DAVIS

•  6:00 AM Parachute Jumper (1933)
•  7:30 AM The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935)
•  9:00 AM Dangerous (1935)
• 10:30 AM The Petrified Forest (1936)
• 12:00 PM Jezebel (1938)
•  2:00 PM The Letter (1940)
•  3:45 PM Now, Voyager (1942)
•  5:45 PM Watch on the Rhine (1943)
•  7:45 PM Carson on TCM: Bette Davis (2013)
•  8:00 PM Ex-Lady (1933)
•  9:15 PM Dark Victory (1939)
•  11:15 PM The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 CLARK GABLE

•  6:00 AM Dance, Fools, Dance (1931)
•  7:30 AM Laughing Sinners (1931)
•  8:45 AM Possessed (1931)
• 10:15 AM Chained (1934)
• 11:45 AM Cain and Mabel (1936)
•  1:15 PM Test Pilot (1938)
•  3:30 PM Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
•  6:00 PM Mogambo (1953)
•  8:00 PM It Happened One Night (1934) (also Essentials, Jr.)
•  10:00 PM Too Hot to Handle (1938)
• 12:00 AM Strange Cargo (1940)
•  2:00 AM The Hucksters (1947)
•  4:00 AM Betrayed (1954)

Watch the video below which tells more about the month worth of stars.

 

For a complete schedule, go to: http://tcm.com/summer

Hapy Birthday John Gilbert!

TCM is showing his films today. See my site about John Gilbert, by clicking here. 

Below is the list of Gilbert films being shown on TCM today (all times are Eastern):

• 6:30 AM silent - Bardelys the Magnificent (1926)
• 8:01 AM Naughty Twenties (1951) 
• 8:15 AM silent Show, The (1927) 
• 9:45 AM silent Woman of Affairs, A (1928) 
• 11:18 AM short Divine Woman, The (Lost Garbo Footage) (1928) 
• 11:30 AM silent Desert Nights (1929) 
• 12:45 PM drama Redemption (1930) 
• 2:00 PM musical Way For A Sailor (1930) 
• 3:30 PM suspense Phantom of Paris, The (1931) 
• 4:49 PM short Rambling Round Radio Row 6 (Harry Rose) (1934) 
• 5:00 PM romance West Of Broadway (1931) 
• 6:08 PM short Broadway Ballyhoo (1936) 
• 6:30 PM comedy Captain Hates the Sea, The (1934) 

Libeled Lady – Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy on TCM, May 30

Two of the actresses featured here on TCM, are in this funny and entertaining film, "Libeled Lady" from 1936. Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow star along with Spencer Tracy and William Powell. Directed by Jack Conway, it's fun through and through. Jean Harlow got top billing in this film that starred four of the most famous stars of the era. How could it be anything else with such legendary stars. Is is a solid script, in my opinion, it is one of the best comedies of the 1930s. The four stars, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow all interact beautifully. Powell's scene where he tries to pass himself off as a champion angler is sublime. It still resonates as a great classic comedy today and is certainly worth a watch. 

Here's a clip from the film:

You can purchase this film by going to the link below:

source: TCM.com

My all time favorite Film: The Best Years Of Our Lives is on TCM May 27 at 5pm

The Best Years Of Our Lives, 1946 is my all time favorite film and it will be shown during this year's Memorial Day weekend on TCM at 5pm on Monday, May 27, 2103.

I think this is the "perfect" American film and it shows us at our best.

It's about three service men who return home at the end of Word War II and how they adapt to life back at home. The parts are played beautifully by the cast that includes, Frederic March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell as the sailor who lost his hands in battle.

I can't say how much I love it and I must have seen it a 100 times.  It's so worth a watch because it is directed by one of my favorite directors, William Wyler who shot it to perfection.

Leonard Maltin gave it a movie review and here's what he said:

American classic of three veterans returning home after WW2, readjusting to civilian life. Robert Sherwood's script from MacKinlay Kantor's book perfectly captured mood of postwar U.S.; still powerful today. Seven Oscars include Best Picture, Wyler, March, Russell, Sherwood, Daniel Mandell's editing, Hugo Friedhofer's score. Russell, an actual veteran who lost his hands, also took home a second Oscar, a special award for bringing hope and courage to other veterans.

What I like the most about this film is the way Wyler captures the time. It's like you are there and know how life was after WWII.

Here are a few clips from the film:

This is my all time favorite movie scene. It shows Fredric March returning home. Beautifully shot by Wyler looking down the hallway at the couple as they embrace for the first time in several years.

You can purchase the DVD here, its so worth it:

 

New Biography of Silent Film star John Gilbert by Eve Golden

I am in the process of reading this biography of the great John Gilbert by Eve Golden and already I can say that it is fascinating.

Having moved to the Los Angeles area a few years ago, I was fascinated when I read about all the places here where the movies were made in the early era of film, it brings it that much closer to me. Gilbert's home was high up in the Hollywood Hills in Beverly Hills and it overlooked the city.

Gilbert is most known today for his love affair with Greta Garbo and their wonderful films together, such as Flesh and the Devil. Gilbert may have been a huge star in the silent era, but when sound came, his popularity fell flat and he just didn't make it into sound.  Some say he was sabotaged by Louis B. Mayer, and others blame Gilbert himself.  One thing for sure and what I believe is that it had nothing to do with his voice, although, at the time, that was the excuse given.

You can also read about it in Eve Golden's wonderful biography which is available on TCM.com and at Amazon.com at the following links.

Below are three videos excerpts from Kevin Brownlow's film, "Hollywood" where Gilbert's fall is documented.

This month is full of films being shown on TCM of my favorite actors, actresses, directors and my #1 favorite film is also being shown.

Here's a list of them, be sure to check the schedule to see all the stars featured on TCM this month that we have full sites for here at Classic Movie Favorites.

Goodbye Mr. Chips	1939	10-May	1:15pm	Robert Donat
Dead ringer	1964	11-May	2:00pm	Bette Davis
So Big	1932	12-May	11:00am	Barbara Stanwyck
lady by choice	1934	12-May	6:00am	Carole Lombard
Stella Dallas	1937	12-May	9:00am	Barbara Stanwyck
The Girl Downstairs	1938	13-May	5:15pm	Franchot Tone
Stage Door	1937	14-May	2:15pm	Katherine Hepburn
Lydia	1941	15-May	6:30am	Merle Oberon
Queen Bee	1955	16-May	12:30pm	Joan Crawford
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner	1967	16-May	6:00pm	Katherine Hepburn
The Virgin Queen	1955	18-May	4:15pm	Bette Davis
Private Life of Henry VIII	1933	18-May	9:30pm	Merle Oberon
Mary of Scotland	1936	19-May	7:45am	Katherine Hepburn
The Petrified Forest	1936	21-May	9:30pm	Bette Davis
My Life with Caroline	1941	22-May	8:30am	Ronald Colman
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney	1929	23-May	8:30am	Norma Shearer
Harriet Craig	1950	24-May	2:00pm	Joan Crawford
Sadie Mckee	1934	24-May	6:00am	Joan Crawford
Run Silent, Run Deep	1958	25-May	2:15pm	Clark Gable
Homecoming	1948	26-May	1:15am	Clark Gable
Command Decision	1948	27-May	10:15pm	Clark Gable
The Best years of our lives (CMF FAVORITE FILM)	1946	27-May	5:00pm	Myrna Loy
The Guns of Navarone	1961	27-May	9:00am	David Niven
In Old Chicago	1938	29-May	10:00pm	Tyrone Power
The Iron Petticoat	1956	29-May	7:45am	Katherine Hepburn
Libeled Lady	1936	30-May	12:30am	Jean Harlow
fonda on Fonda	1992	31-May	7:00pm	Katherine Hepburn

Kevin Brownlow TCM Film Fest Panel

One of the highlights of attending the TCM Film Festival for me was to attend Kevin Brownlow's panel at the which took place on April 25, 2013. Mr. Brownlow wrote the book, among many others, "The Parades Gone By" and also created the wonderful 13 episode documentary about the silent era, "Hollywood." He is also the person who has restored Abel Gance's 1927 French epic, "Napaleon."

Mr. Brownlow spoke for over an hour to those in the room that was packed with TCM festival goers. He had nothing but praise for his collaborator Carl Davis who wrote the title music for "Hollywood" and scored the Brownlow's restored version of  "Napoleon." He told us the story of how Mr. Davis wrote the title music in the back of a bus in five minutes, imagine that!

After the discussion was over, I among many others went up to speak to Mr. Brownlow and I took my copy of his book, and he was kind enough to autograph it. I told him that I had a John Gilbert web site and he stopped and got a photo out of his bag that showed a photo of Leatrice Gilbert as Rosie the Riveter  I thought that was so generous of him to stop and speak to me about Gilbert.

Kevin Brownlow on Lon Chaney - (A TCM Featurette)
"Film historian and director Kevin Brownlow discusses the genius of silent star Lon Chaney, Sr. in a TCM Original featurette."

Below is the trailer from "Napoleon" which was shown just before the TCM Film festival took place at the San Francisco Film Festival in Oakland, CA. This was  for the first time the film had been seen in the US in almost 30 years.

 Napoleon (1927) -- (Trailer) San Francisco Silent Film Festival The trailer promoting the exclusive screening of Abel Gance's Napoleon, 1927, at the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

Below are some Kevin Brownlow books that you might like to purchase.

Red Carpet at 2013 TCM Film Festival

On Thursday, April 25, 2013 I was privileged to attend the Red Carpet Ceremonies for the premiere of the restoration of the film, "Funny Girl" during the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival.

Walking the red carpet that night were many stars of classic film such as, in no particular order of importance:

• Eva Marie Saint of "On The Waterfront" and "North By Northwest," 
• Ann Jeffries, who is remembered for her television work, such as 1950's "Topper" series. 
• Marvin Kaplan of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 
• Robert Hays, of "Airplane," 
• Ann Blyth who played Veda in "Mildred "Pierce," 
• Tippi Hedren of "The Birds" and "Marnie," 
• Theodore Bikel of "My Fair Lady,"
• Jane Withers of Giant and was a child star in the 1930's celebrated her 87th Birthday.
• Leonard Maltin, Film Critic
• France Nuyen, "South Pacific"
• Mitzi Gaynor, "South Pacific"
• Marge Champion, "The Swimmer"

It was great to meet these stars and to see all the fans across from us in the bleachers cheering them on.  

The film "Funny Girl" has been fully restored and it was showing that night to VIP ticket holders at the TCL Chinese Theater (formerly "Grauman's Chinese Theater."  

I just read today that the Chinese Theater will be going through extensive renovation when the TCMFF ends, so I'm glad I had a chance to see all of this before then.

Here are some photos from the event:

Also, here are some, "behind the scenes" photos of our fellow press at the Red Carpet.  It was lots of fun and I hope to get a chance to do it again, but never in high heels, please!