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The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts Of Thelma Todd Zasu Pitts And Patsy Kelly
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Book Synopsis The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly by : James L. Neibaur
Download or read book The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly written by James L. Neibaur and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-12-14 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hoping to follow his Laurel and Hardy success with a female comedy team, producer Hal Roach paired Thelma Todd with ZaSu Pitts in a 1931 series of two-reel shorts. Pitts left the studio for other pursuits, was replaced by Patsy Kelly and the series continued to be successful. Todd died under mysterious circumstances in 1935 and Kelly tried to carry on, first with Pert Kelton, then with Lyda Roberti. When Roberti died in 1938, the series ended. This book takes the first film-by-film look at each of the comedies these women made, how they responded to different directors and how production adapted to changes along the way. Credits, production information, period reviews, and critical assessments are included.
Book Synopsis A History of the Hal Roach Studios by : Richard Lewis Ward
Download or read book A History of the Hal Roach Studios written by Richard Lewis Ward and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 2006-08-15 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Once labeled the “lot that laugher built,” the Hal Roach Studios launched the comedic careers of such screen icons as Harold Lloyd, Our Gang, and Laurel and Hardy. With this stable of stars, the Roach enterprise operated for forty-six years on the fringes of the Hollywood studio system during a golden age of cinema and gained notoriety as a producer of short comedies, independent features, and weekly television series. Many of its productions are better remembered today than those by its larger contemporaries. In A History of the Hal Roach Studios, Richard Lewis Ward meticulously follows the timeline of the company’s existence from its humble inception in 1914 to its close in 1960 and, through both its obscure and famous productions, traces its resilience to larger trends in the entertainment business. In the first few decades of the twentieth century, the motion picture industry was controlled by an elite handful of powerful firms that allowed very little room for new competition outside of their established cartel. The few independents that garnered some measure of success despite their outsider status usually did so by specializing in underserved or ignored niche markets. Here, Ward chronicles how the Roach Studios, at the mercy of exclusive distribution practices, managed to repeatedly redefine itself in order to survive for nearly a half-century in a cutthroat environment. Hal Roach’s tactic was to nurture talent rather than exhaust it, and his star players spent the prime of their careers shooting productions on his lot. Even during periods of decline or misdirection, the Roach Studios turned out genuinely original material, such as the screwball classic Topper (1937), the brutally frank Of Mice and Men (1940), and the silent experiment One Million B.C. (1940). Ward’s exploration yields insight into the production and marketing strategies of an organization on the periphery of the theatrical film industry and calls attention to the interconnected nature of the studio system during the classic era. The volume also looks to the early days of television when the prolific Roach Studios embraced the new medium to become, for a time, the premier telefilm producer. Aided by a comprehensive filmography and twenty-seven illustrations, A History of the Hal Roach Studios recounts an overlooked chapter in American cinema, not only detailing the business operations of Roach’s productions but also exposing the intricate workings of Hollywood’s rivalrous moviemaking establishment.
Book Synopsis Shocking and Sensational by : Julian Upton
Download or read book Shocking and Sensational written by Julian Upton and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-05-25 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Already part of a genre known for generating controversy, some true crime and scandal books have wielded a particular power to unsettle readers, provoke authorities and renew interest in a case. The reactions to such literature have been as contentious as the books themselves, clouding the "truth" with myths and inaccuracies. From high-profile publishing sensations such as Ten Rillington Place, Fatal Vision and Mommie Dearest to the wealth of writing on the JFK assassination, the death of Marilyn Monroe and the Black Dahlia murder, this book delves into that hard copy era when crime and scandal books had a cultural impact beyond the genre's film and TV documentaries, fueling outcries that sometimes matched the notoriety of the cases they discussed and leaving legacies that still resonate today.
Book Synopsis Suicide in the Entertainment Industry by : David K. Frasier
Download or read book Suicide in the Entertainment Industry written by David K. Frasier and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-09-11 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work covers 840 intentional suicide cases initially reported in Daily Variety (the entertainment industry's trade journal), but also drawing attention from mainstream news media. These cases are taken from the ranks of vaudeville, film, theatre, dance, music, literature (writers with direct connections to film), and other allied fields in the entertainment industry from 1905 through 2000. Accidentally self-inflicted deaths are omitted, except for a few controversial cases. It includes the suicides of well-known personalities such as actress Peg Entwistle, who is the only person to ever commit suicide by jumping from the top of the Hollywood Sign, Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Dandridge, who are believed to have overdosed on drugs, and Richard Farnsworth and Brian Keith, who shot themselves to end the misery of terminal cancer. Also mentioned, but in less detail, are the suicides of unknown and lesser-known members of the entertainment industry. Arranged alphabetically, each entry covers the person's personal and professional background, method of suicide, and, in some instances, includes actual statements taken from the suicide note.
Book Synopsis Encyclopedia of American Short Films, 1926-1959 by : Graham Webb
Download or read book Encyclopedia of American Short Films, 1926-1959 written by Graham Webb and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2020-07-13 with total page 735 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Short subject films have a long history in American cinemas. These could be anywhere from 2 to 40 minutes long and were used as a "filler" in a picture show that would include a cartoon, a newsreel, possibly a serial and a short before launching into the feature film. Shorts could tackle any topic of interest: an unusual travelogue, a comedy, musical revues, sports, nature or popular vaudeville acts. With the advent of sound-on-film in the mid-to-late 1920s, makers of earlier silent short subjects began experimenting with the short films, using them as a testing ground for the use of sound in feature movies. After the Second World War, and the rising popularity of television, short subject films became far too expensive to produce and they had mostly disappeared from the screens by the late 1950s. This encyclopedia offers comprehensive listings of American short subject films from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Book Synopsis Ice Cream Blonde by : Michelle Morgan
Download or read book Ice Cream Blonde written by Michelle Morgan and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed look at the charmed life and tragic death of one of Hollywood's earliest stars A vibrant and beloved Golden Age film comedienne who worked alongside the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, Clara Bow, and dozens of others, Thelma Todd was one of the rare actors to successfully cross over from silent films to "talkies." This authoritative new biography traces Todd's life and career, from a vivacious little girl to a young woman who became a reluctant beauty queen to her rapid rise as a Hollywood comedy star to her mysterious death at the age of 29. Increasingly disenchanted with the studio star system, Todd opened the successful Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Café, attracting adoring fans, tourists, and Hollywood celebrities. Life appeared blessed for the beautiful and outspoken Hollywood rebel. So the country was shocked when Todd was found dead by her housekeeper in a garage near the café. An inquest concluded that her death was accidental, caused by inhaling the car's exhaust fumes. In a thorough new investigation that draws on FBI documents, interviews, photographs, reports, and extortion notes—much of these not previously available to the public—author Michelle Morgan offers fresh evidence and conclusions about the circumstances surrounding Todd's death, proving what many people have long suspected, that Thelma had been murdered. The cast of suspects includes Thelma's Hollywood-director lover; her gangster ex-husband; assorted thugs who were pressuring her to install gaming tables in the room above her popular café; and a new, never-before-named mobster. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Todd's death, The Ice Cream Blonde is sure to interest any fan of Thelma Todd, Hollywood's Golden Age, or gripping real-life murder mysteries.
Book Synopsis Mothers, Mammies and Old Maids by : Axel Nissen
Download or read book Mothers, Mammies and Old Maids written by Axel Nissen and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Continuing the exploration which began in Actresses of a Certain Character: Forty Familiar Hollywood Faces from the Thirties to the Fifties (McFarland, 2006), this companion volume analyzes the contributions of female supporting players in the films of Hollywood's Golden Age. The twenty-five actresses profiled herein range from the easily recognizable (Marie Dressler, Ethel Waters) to the long forgotten (Esther Howard, Evelyn Varden), and from the prolific (Clara Blandick, Mary Forbes) to the "one-work wonders" (Jane Cowl, Queenie Vassar). Each profile captures the essence of the individual performer's on-screen persona, unique talents and popular appeal--with special emphasis on a single definitive performance of the actress's motion picture career (who, for example, could ever forget Josephine Hull in Harvey?). The appendix offers a list of "The 100 Top Performances by Character Actresses in Hollywood, 1930-1960."
Book Synopsis Thelma Todd in the Movies by : Greg Lenburg
Download or read book Thelma Todd in the Movies written by Greg Lenburg and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thelma Todd was the perfect combination: a beautiful and funny actress, a great onscreen comedienne. Today's audiences may best remember her for her memorable supporting roles in films of Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. But Todd's film career was so much fuller, larger. In the 1930s, she starred in a successful short subject series with Zasu Pitts and later with Patsy Kelly for Hal Roach Studios. During the Depression, she was more popular than say Goldie Hawn or Farrah Fawcett. In all, she appeared in 115 films, with her first being --at 21 years of age-- as Lorraine Lane in "Fascinating Youth" (1926). a silent romantic comedy. (She even worked opposite the legendary Gary Cooper in the silent western, "Nevada" (1927).) Given her beauty and talent, Todd's name would have been a household word, if she lived long enough to continue making films and even appearing on television shows. Unfortunately, in 1935, at the age of 29, she was found slumped over the wheel of her Lincoln convertible. Her death was ruled a suicide because of carbon monoxide poisoning, Then and now those who knew her believe she was murdered. Her sudden death was a tragic, sad end to a bright, promising career. As a tribute to her great talent and legacy, "Thelma Todd in the Movies: A Pictorial Tribute" presents a gallery of more than 60 vintage color and black and white illustrations with captions. They include a mixture of one sheet posters, poster art, still photos and screen images from a sample of her film appearances, from "Nevada" (1927) to "The Bohemian Girl" (1936) with Laurel and Hardy. "Thelma Todd in the Movies: A Pictorial Tribute" is not a complete representation of her film work. It does not contain any biographical information about her nor any information about her films. Instead, it's a mini tribute to a beautiful, funny actress who was a class act all her own. 76 Black and white/color illlustrations
Book Synopsis Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965 by : Barry Monush
Download or read book Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965 written by Barry Monush and published by Hal Leonard Corporation. This book was released on 2003 with total page 844 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: (Applause Books). For decades, Screen World has been the film professional's, as well as the film buff's, favorite and indispensable annual screen resource, full of all the necessary statistics and facts. Now Screen World editor Barry Monush has compiled another comprehensive work for every film lover's library. In the first of two volumes, this book chronicles the careers of every significant film actor, from the earliest silent screen stars Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks to the mid-1960s, when the old studio and star systems came crashing down. Each listing includes: a brief biography, photos from the famed Screen World archives, with many rare shots; vital statistics; a comprehensive filmography; and an informed, entertaining assessment of each actor's contributions good or bad! In addition to every major player, Monush includes the legions of unjustly neglected troupers of yesteryear. The result is a rarity: an invaluable reference tool that's as much fun to read as a scandal sheet. It pulsates with all the scandal, glamour, oddity and glory that was the lifeblood of its subjects. Contains over 1,000 photos!
Book Synopsis The Great Movie Shorts by : Leonard Maltin
Download or read book The Great Movie Shorts written by Leonard Maltin and published by New York : Crown Publishers. This book was released on 1972 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis American Film Comedy by : Scott Siegel
Download or read book American Film Comedy written by Scott Siegel and published by Prentice Hall. This book was released on 1994 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An A to Z guide to film comedies. Illus.
Download or read book Our Gang written by Leonard Maltin and published by Random House Value Publishing. This book was released on 1977 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis The Film Anthologies Index by : Stephen E. Bowles
Download or read book The Film Anthologies Index written by Stephen E. Bowles and published by Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to some 600 film anthologies published since 1991. Lists anthologies alphabetically by editor, and an author index locates essays by authors in specific anthologies. Includes a general index connecting film titles and themes to books numbers, not page numbers. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Book Synopsis The Little Rascals by : Leonard Maltin
Download or read book The Little Rascals written by Leonard Maltin and published by Three Rivers Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When originally published in 1977 as Our Gang, this book sold over 52,000 copies. This new edition, with an extensive amount of fresh material, will prove irresistible to all fans of the most popular film series of all time. Includes updated biographical entries on the cast and crew and complete entries on every single film, with story synopses, production credits, cast lists, critiques, and more. 397 photographs.
Download or read book Films in Review written by and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hollywood Speaks written by Mike Steen and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tape-recorded interviews with actors and the technical people whose efforts combine to produce a film.
Book Synopsis Thelma Todd Movie Poster Art & Stills Book by : Abby Books
Download or read book Thelma Todd Movie Poster Art & Stills Book written by Abby Books and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thelma Todd was the perfect combination: a beautiful and funny actress, a great onscreen comedienne. Today's audiences may best remember her for her memorable supporting roles in films of Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. But Todd's film career was so much larger. In the 1930s, she starred in a successful short subject series with Zasu Pitts and later with Patsy Kelly for Hal Roach Studios. During the Depression, she was more popular than say Goldie Hawn or Farrah Fawcett. In all, she appeared in 115 films, with her first being --at 21 years of age-- as Lorraine Lane in Fascinating Youth (1926). a silent romantic comedy. (She even worked opposite the legendary Gary Cooper in the silent western, Nevada (1927).) Given her beauty and talent, Todd's name would have been a household word, if she lived long enough to continue making films and even appearing on television shows. Unfortunately, in 1935, at the age of 29, she was found slumped over the wheel of her Lincoln convertible. Her death was ruled a suicide because of carbon monoxide poisoning, Then and now those who knew her believe she was murdered. Her sudden death was a tragic, sad end to a bright, promising career. As a tribute to her great talent and legacy, the Thelma Todd Movie Poster Art & Stills Book presents a mixture of 75 vintage color and black and white illustrations from 45 of 115 of her films. They include one sheet posters, poster art (such as lobby cards), still photos and screen images from a sample of her film appearances, from Nevada (1927) to The Bohemian Girl (1936) with Laurel and Hardy. The Thelma Todd Movie Poster Art & Stills Book is not a complete collection, nor does it contain any biographical information about Todd or any information about her films. Instead, it's a pictorial tribute to a beautiful, funny actress who was a class act all her own. (The following is a list of movie poster art and stills contained in this book: Ads: Vamping Venus (1928) and Speak Easily (1932), Insert: The Devil's Brother (1933). Lobby Cards: Nevada (1927), The Gay Defender (1927), The Haunted House (1928), The Noose (1928), Seven Footprints to Satan (1929), The Bachelor Girl (1929), Aloha (1931), Corsair (1931), Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932), Air Hostess (1933), Cheating Blondes (1933), Counselor-at-Law (1933), The Devil's Brother (1933), Babes in the Goods (1934) and One Horse Farmers (1934), One Sheet Posters: Vamping Venus (1928), Corsair (1931), Cheating Blondes (1933), Hips Hips Hooray (1934), I'll Be Suing You (1934), One Horse Farmers (1934), Opened by Mistake (1934) and Hal Roach 20th Anniversary (1934). Stills: Nevada (1927), The Gay Defender (1927), The Noose (1928), Vamping Venus (1928), Seven Footprints to Satan (1929), The Snappy Sneezer (1929), Sky Boy (1929), Brats (1930), Her Man (1930), The Shrimp (1930), The Hot Heiress (1931), Chickens Come Home (1931), Monkey Business (1931), On the Loose (1931), The Maltese Falcon (1931), Call Her Savage (1932), Horse Feathers (1932), Speak Easily (1932), The Nickel Nurser (1932), This is the Night (1932), Strictly Unreliable (1932), Son of a Sailor (1933), The Devil's Brother (1933), Bottoms Up (1934), Maid in Hollywood (1934), Cockeyed Cavaliers (1934), Babes in the Goods (1934), The Poor Rich (1934), Palooka (1934), Two for Tonight (1935) and The Bohemian Girl (1936). Screen Images: Another Fine Mess (1930), Chickens Come Home (1931), Call Her Savage (1932) and The Bohemian Girl (1936).)