Old Movies | Hollywood Yesterday

Things You May Not Have Known About Abbott and Costello

March 12, 2018 By Joi 23 Comments

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff

You are looking at a picture of one of my greatest obsessions – Abbott and Costello. I could watch their movies and/or routines daily and laugh as though it were the first time EACH time. As someone who loves few things as much as laughing, I guess it’s only expected that they’d float my boat so perfectly.

There was a lot more to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello than most of us realize. They were much more intellectual (and certainly more serious) than we envision them. In fact, off screen, the men barely resembled the characters they played.

Below are a few fast facts about these brilliant men.

Facts about Bud Abbott

William Alexander Abbott was born in 1895.
Both of his parents (Rae and Harry) at one time worked for the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Bud worked in carnivals, as a child, and dropped out of school in 1909.
In 1931, he stood in for comic Lou Costello’s straight-man who was ill. The two clicked almost immediately and… the rest is history!
In 1940 he made his film debut in One Night in the Tropics, which was also his first film pairing with his partner Lou Costello.
Bud has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (6333 Hollywood Boulevard), Motion Pictures (1611 Vine Street), and Television (6740 Hollywood Boulevard).
Bud Abbott was a lifelong epileptic.
His twin sister, Olive Victoria Abbott, was in vaudeville and lived to be 101 years old!
He was an avid gun collector and once owned an Adolf Hitler shotgun.
One story has it that, at Lou Costello’s insistence, the monies earned from the their act were split 60/40, favoring Bud Abbott. Lou Costello reasoned that “…comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find.”
After Abbott and Costello broke up, Bud Abbott said, “I never understood Lou.”
Married Betty Smith in 1918. They adopted two children.
A favorite Bud Abbott Quote was, “You never heard of a comedy team that didn’t fight, did you?“
Died in 1974 (prostate cancer).

Facts About Lou Costello

Born in 1906 in New Jersey.
His parents were Helen and Sebastiano Cristillo. His father was from Calabria, Italy, and his mother was an American of Italian, French, and Irish ancestry.
Before teaming with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello worked as a stuntman.
Lou Costello was married to Anne Battler from January 1934 – March 1959 (his death)
Lou mentioned his hometown (Paterson, New Jersey) in virtually every episode of his TV show and in many of his films – listen for it, it’s amazing (and touching) how he works it in.
Tragically, his only son, Lou Jr., drowned in the family’s swimming pool just days before his first birthday.
Lou Costello simply took home any prop or furniture from a set that he took a liking to. Once, during filming of Hit The Ice, the director was reshooting a scene when he noticed all the furniture was gone! Sure enough, Lou had hauled it off to his place – so an arrangement was made for him to bring it back just long enough to reshoot the scenes.
Costello wanted to change the name of the duo to “Costello and Abbott.” Naturally, Universal Pictures wasn’t for the idea. The result was a “permanent chill” between the partners that lasted until their split in the late 1950s.
After the death of his son, Lou Costello Jr., he somehow performed the “Who’s On First” routine as usual, but with tears running down his face.
Lou was an amateur boxer.
He was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for Motion Pictures at 6438 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6780 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6276 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1943, Lou developed rheumatic fever. The disease damaged his heart and led to the heart attack that killed him – three days before his 53rd birthday.
Bud’s one starring role in a feature film, without Bud Abbott, was in The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). He died before it was released.

Facts About the Team…

Abbott and Costello are known in Italy as “Gianni and Pinotto”, Abbott being Gianni and Costello being Pinotto.
Abbott and Costello are the only two non-sportsmen honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, for their “Who’s On First” routine. They aren’t, of course, members of the Hall of Fame, but the fact that their wonderful routine is so appreciated is priceless.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were so popular that there was an “Abbott and Costello” comic book that was published for about ten years until their partnership ended in 1956.
They performed the “Who’s on first” routine for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

Gilda Review: One of My All-Time Favorite Movies (With Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford – How Could it NOT Be?)

December 18, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth, Gilda

Like Lana Turner and Marilyn Monroe, a lot of people tend to think of Rita Hayworth as simply beautiful and iconic. While she’s both (to be sure), there’s more to her than “greets the eye.” Rita Hayworth was an great actress and an exceptional performer. The same is, of course true of the aforementioned ladies as well.

Rita Hayworth could more than hold her own on the dance floor and she brought life, charisma, and depth to every role she ever stepped into. She could convey more with a facial expression than a lot of actors/actresses get across with a five minute dialogue purge.

Can you tell she’s one of my all-time favorite actresses?

It seems that every actor and actress has a “defining role.” While this may not seem terribly fair, it is what it is. Many stars have several roles that can, and should, serve as sort of a defining compilation, but it’s generally one specific role that comes to mind when you see their name. When it comes to Rita Hayworth, her defining role is a knock out – Gilda.

Gilda is a cinematic dream come true for me, personally, as it has not only one of my top three favorite actresses but also one of my top three favorite actors, Glenn Ford.

Don’t you just love it when your favorites team up for a movie? Feels kind of like a kiss on the cheek from God, Himself.

Make no mistake about it, though, even 10 favorite stars in a movie won’t save it if the movie doesn’t live up to the moment. Fortunately, Gilda does. In fact, it’d be one of my favorite movies even if the lead characters didn’t score so much as a blip on my radar. The movie is simply a lot of fun to watch and provides a few unexpected twists and turns to keep you completely and utterly hooked.

The clothes, the lighting, the music, the dancing, the redhead… they all go together to create cinematic magic.

While the entire cast is outstanding, the casting of the movie’s leads was a stroke of genius. The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford is absolutely palpable. Each time I watch Gilda, I mentally give a standing ovation to the individual responsible for bringing these two together. It’s that special, magical kind of chemistry that is almost impossible to define – yet, when it happens, it lights up the screen and you feel the fire deep in your soul.

The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in Gilda (along with the chemistry between James Stewart and Lana Turner in Ziegfeld Girl – two more of my personal favorites) is one of the most magical pairings of all time as far as I’m concerned.

Rita Hayworth, Gilda

You can direct scenes, you can choreograph dances, and you can create moments with lighting and music…. however you cannot manufacture (or even account for) chemistry. It’s either there or it isn’t. While a great movie can overcome lukewarm chemistry between its leads, red hot chemistry can take a great movie and make it… well… a legend.

I believe this chemistry is partly (perhaps even largely) to credit for Gilda achieving the legendary status it has.

If you aren’t as immersed in old movies as some of us are or if you’re just getting into them, I wholeheartedly recommend Gilda. If you are new to the greatest genre of entertainment in the world (can you tell I’m not just immersed but buried?), I want to warn you about one brief little scene in particular. You’ll know it when you see it. The last thing I want to do is give anything away, so I’ll just say one code word: BOAT. Something happens in a particular scene involving a BOAT that serves to remind the viewer of the period of time in which this wonderful movie was made. Effects departments now, upon watching this scene, probably wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Do me a favor, when you see this scene, simply say “1946” – the year in which the movie was made.

This will remind you not to hold the moment against the movie, Glenn, or Rita. Especially not Rita.

When you watch old movies like it’s your job, you just kind of shrug off these moments and accept them for what they are – signs of the times.

Rita Hayworth made Gilda the iconic legend it is and in many ways you can say the movie returned the favor.

Rita Hayworth, Gilda

Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein: What is it With Me and These Movies?!?

October 17, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

I don’t know….. maybe it’s just me. I mean, I’ve read so many nice reviews about Frankenstein (1931) and even more about The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). And yet…

Boris Karloff, as the monster, is a household name among horror movie fans. And yet...

Mary Shelley is one of the most widely-respected authors of all time and is often pointed to as the reason many women authors began writing. And yet….

And yet… here I sit, completely baffled by all of the hoop and most of the la. When I read the book as a teen, I detested it. I honestly found it to be the most boring book I’d ever read. I’d rather it had scared the wits out of me and interrupted my sleep (like Dracula, for example) than to bore me speechless. I lost track of the number of times I closed the book, put it down, and decided I’d just “fake” my book report. My mom told me that I’d feel better about the book report if I actually finished the book.

I don’t want to say she was wrong, so I’ll just say she was not right.

Reading that book was painful but, frankly, watching Frankenstein wasn’t much better. If it weren’t for the fact that the time spent watching the movie was less of an investment than reading the book, it’d have been just as painful. While I LOVE old movies – these two could have turned me off of movies for good.

Okay, okay, that’s an exaggeration but you get the idea.

First the positives about Frankenstein: Boris Karloff was great in the role and Edward Van Sloan was PERFECT as Doctor Waldman. This wonderful actor is perfect in everything and is, as far as I’m concerned, the one good thing about Frankenstein. He was also great in Dracula (1931) as Van Helsing. That movie was better than Dracula and his Van Helsing deserves most of the credit.

Another positive – the movie did a great job when it came to setting the ambiance and overall mood. The sets were outstanding, as was the wardrobe and makeup – especially for the time.

Continued Below…

Boris Karloff

The positives about The Bride of Frankenstein: Again, Boris Karloff is wonderful in the role of the monster. With more true acting to delve into with this second film, he gets to show off his chops. His scenes in a cabin with his newfound “friend” are absolute movie magic. He gives a beautiful performance. Furthermore, Elsa Lanchester is a total scene-stealer both as The Bride of Frankenstein and as Mary Shelley in the opening scene. The fact that she was so mesmerizing is actually one of the things I like least about this movie…. she wasn’t used nearly enough.

Truth is, she was barely on screen at all – which is a shame because she’s really the only thing that could have saved the movie.

As for the original Frankenstein – like the book – it was pretty boring. I watch old movies like it’s my job, so I don’t mind “dated” effects or “less than inspired” camera-work. I don’t mind over-acting, even. In fact, I always say it’s far better than under-acting (the greatest sin of acting). I suspect the cast (with the exception of Van Sloan and Karloff) read the book and were so bored they couldn’t snap out of it. Seriously, the rest of the cast all but naps through their scenes. Not only could the two leads not convince me they were in love, they couldn’t convince me they were the ones who were alive.

I think the biggest problem with The Bride of Frankenstein, however, is the story itself. There were so many moments when I thought, “I’d have done that differently…” or “That wasn’t the way to go with that…” The concept was a great one but, in my opinion, the execution should have been -executed, that is. If you title a movie “The Bride of Frankenstein” she should be a large part of the movie – especially when the actress so much charisma. With a different script, the name Elsa Lanchester would be as famous as the name Boris Karloff.

Do you get the idea I loathe these two movies? I mean, I’m not hiding that fact, am I??

If you’re a fan of one or both of these movies, I honestly apologize. Not for the fact you like them, mind you, but for the fact that I’m coming down so hard on them. As I said at the beginning of this diatribe, it’s probably just me and it isn’t the first time. There have been other stars, movies, and TV shows that others love and I just sort of bite my tongue.

I actually recently re-watched both of these movies on TCM – just to see if I found them more agreeable this time.

Oh, I did NOT. In fact, as soon as Frankenstein went off, I told my cats, “Well, there’s time we’ll never get back.” They weren’t too thrilled with the movie, either. They thought the casting was all wrong and the dialogue excruciatingly painful. I have to agree.

Lovely Elsa (as Mary Shelley) – More of Her Would’ve Made the Movie Better

The Prince and The Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe and a Legendary Actor…

May 24, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Okay, first of all, I know the legendary actor’s name as well as anyone – Sir Laurence Olivier. Many people (I’m not among them I’m afraid) consider him to be the greatest actor of all time. Don’t get me wrong, he was magnificent and I certainly believe he is “one” of the best ever… even if I hesitate to give him the title “the best.”

The man’s name is synonymous with fine acting and for good reason.

Oddly enough, however, the name Marilyn Monroe is synonymous with beauty and sex appeal (again, for good reason) but it’s the rare bird who’d associate her with good acting, let alone great acting.

I guess I’m among the rarest of birds.

Marilyn Monroe was so much more than just a beautiful face. Her intelligence led to her ability to bring so much to each character she portrayed. She simply knew what each character would feel and how they would react to everything and everyone around them.

The Prince and the Showgirl is one of my personal favorite Marilyn Monroe performances, which kind of sucks because Laurence Olivier’s performance makes me cringe. I understand he’s portraying royalty, here, but I’d have preferred royalty with a pulse!

His performance is one of my least favorites in any movie, to be honest. Leslie Howard in Gone With the Wind is right up there, too. The thought of both characters being appealing to ANYONE is hard to buy into.. and yet both characters had beautiful ladies fawning over them.

Please!

Somehow, in spite of a lackluster, stiff performance by one of the greatest actors of all-time, The Prince and The Showgirl is still a pretty cute and enjoyable movie. It is, of course, primarily thanks to MM and her adorable portrayal of the “showgirl.” In fact, the entire rest of the cast (aside from the legend) did a fine job – even those who had only one or two scenes.

I’ve read that MM and LO did not get along at all – he took all kinds of exception to her frequent tardiness and “moods.” I don’t want to believe that this affected his performance, however, because he was the very definition of a professional. Their relationship actually makes me want to read “The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me: Six Months on the Set With Marilyn and Olivier” by Colin Clark.

Book Description: When Colin Clark left college in the 1950s, he got a job as a gofer on the set of the movie The Prince and the Showgirl, starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. The film should have been a box office smash, but even before cameras rolled, things began going wrong–and Clark recorded it all in this beguiling, fly-on-the-wall diary.

New and used copies are available on Amazon, so I’m going to order one SOON.

When I watch The Prince and The Showgirl I always come away with the same question…. “Why is he making his character so painful to watch?!?! Is he trying to win her over or bore her to tears?!”

Marilyn is so fun, lively, and energetic – she makes the screen sizzle and pop when she’s on it. Then, here he comes… dragging the movie, as a whole, down with him.

If you’ve never seen the movie, I hope you’ll watch it soon and see what you think. As I’ve said a million times, old movies and old performances are worth watching even when we don’t love or even like them. There’s always something good or worthwhile about every single movie and in this particular movie, MM and a very strong, lively cast make it worth watching.

In spite of you know who.

The White Sister with Helen Hayes and Clark Gable

May 12, 2017 By Joi 2 Comments

As you’d expect from someone with a Golden Age of Hollywood blog like Hollywood Yesterday, I love old movies (as well as classic television) to distraction. I’m seldom as happy as when I’m curled up in my favorite chair, raspberry tea in hand, losing myself in a wonderful old movie. If you’re as infatuated with them as I am, you’ll know what I mean when I say that I love ALL watching old movies… even ones I don’t particularly “like.”

For example, Mogambo is possibly one of the worst (only in my opinion, mind you) movies I’ve ever seen. My great love for Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, and most of all, Ava Gardner, couldn’t even save this movie for me. And yet…. the time spent watching it was satisfying because, while it was pretty dreadful, it was still an old movie and it still brought old stars of Hollywood into my den. Besides, the Ava Gardner scenes were great – I always think how wonderful the movie would have been if every scene was as dynamic as her scenes.

The White Sister (1933) is nowhere near as bad as Mogambo. In fact, the majority of the movie is a lot of fun. Helen Hayes (Angela Chiaromonte) impossibly adorable and… well.. delightful. I normally don’t think, let alone use, the word delightful – but several times during the movie, I kept thinking, “Helen Hayes, you are delightful as Angela…” Then I’d stop and ask myself, “Did you just use the word delightful?…”

Another plus for the movie is the fact that Clark Gable (a personal fave) is downright lovable in the role of Giovanni Severi. A little trivia – because who doesn’t like trivia – this was the first time Clark Gable appeared in a movie with a mustache.

My problem with the movie is that I wish it had chosen one lane and stayed in it. The movie starts out so light-hearted and fun, you’re left thinking that you’re in for a fun romantic comedy and, if the writing had stayed in this vein, it’d have been a classic.

A few tragic turns and you’re left with something that isn’t romantic or comedic.

Now… again… having said all of that, the movie is still very much worth watching because of the performances of Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale (a total scene-stealer in the role of Mina). Unlike a lot of movies of the time, the acting in The White Sister was superb. The early days of Hollywood often say, dare we say it, melodramatic performances that can be hard even for those of us who are obsessed with the era to watch. Not one star in The White Sister tries to gnaw or chew on any of the scenery and there wasn’t one single cringe-worthy moment.

(Continued Below…)

Helen Hayes and Clark Gable, The White Sister

Plot: Angela Chiaromonte (Helen Hayes), is the beautiful, overly-sheltered daughter of a Prince. She falls for Giovanni (Clark Gable) and his zest for life, in spite of herself. When he is reported killed in action in World War I, she is consumed with grief and becomes a nun.

The White Sister is directed by Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), which helps explain why the acting is so superb.

What I love about the movie: Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale do a wonderful job with their roles. They are excellent. The characters are lovable and you can’t help feeling drawn to each one. The clothes are also very memorable – the wardrobe department outdid themselves.

What I didn’t love about the movie: I’d have preferred it if the entire script had stayed light and romantic. The story was at its best when the characters and viewers were having fun.

Is the movie worth seeing? Absolutely. If you love old movies, Helen Hayes, and/or Clark Gable (and especially if, like me, you adore them all!) – you should see this movie right away. Will it become your favorite old movie of all time? Pretty doubtful.

But Helen Hayes is delightful. Perfectly delightful.

Two-Disk Set on Amazon:

Two legends of “Old Hollywood,”Lillian Gish and Helen Hayes, take the same role of Angela Chiaromonte, 10 years apart in The White Sister 2-disk set.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Clean, Crazy Fun – Arguably the Best Kind!)

April 14, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Yesterday, in spite of the fact I was recovering from a terrible cold and should’ve never left the house, I spent the afternoon out with my youngest daughter running errands and shopping. By the time we got back home, all I wanted to do was throw my pajamas on and COLLAPSE with an iced raspberry tea. After crawling into the PJs and pouring the tea, I headed for my favorite swivel rocker, with every intention of popping in a Rita Hayworth or Lucille Ball movie to make me feel better.

I decided to check TCM first, in case something irresistible was coming on.

Was it ever?! The redheads would have to wait.

An all-time favorite musical/movie, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Amazon), happened to just be coming on, which made me smile ear to ear – in between sneezes that threatened to shake my teeth loose.

The ridiculously fun 1956 musical stars Jane Powell (Milly), Howard Keel (Adam), and Russ Tamblyn at his scene-stealing best as the youngest son, Gideon. Although it’s a smaller role, gorgeous Julie Newmar stars as Dorcas (one of the “Seven Brides”). Although she was an accomplished dancer, she was unable to fully showcase her talent in Seven Brides because her “Brother” (Benjamin) was played by Jeff Richards, an ex-baseball player with zero dancing skills.

Benjamin seldom dances in the movie and if you ever wondered why, it’s simple, he’d have been more at home on a baseball field!

In fact, after doing a little research, it turns out that only four of the “brothers” were considered dancers. You’d never really know from watching the movie – everyone seems loaded with talent.

Heck, they all dance better than me… including the baseball player.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Trivia

For the beautiful dresses worn by the Seven Brides, costume designer Walter Plunkett went to the local Salvation Army, bought old quilts and turned them into dresses! Not only do they make beautiful dresses, it rings more authentic than snazzier dresses would.
One of the first things that jumps out at viewers is the fact that all 7 of the brothers are red-heads. This was a decision made in an effort to more easily distinguish between the brothers and the townsmen. The brothers also dress very differently.
The movie was shot in 48 days!
The women in the general store at the first of the movie will go on to become Adam’s sisters-in-law: Ruth (bonnet with blue ribbons), Sarah (hat with black band), Liza (bonnet with pink ribbon), and Dorcas (hat with brown band).
Howard Keel (Adam) called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, “one of my happiest filmmaking experiences at Metro Goldwyn Mayer…The cast was magnificent, and the chemistry irresistible. Jack Cummings had his stamp on the whole picture. Jane Powell, as Milly, was perfect, and I loved working with her. She was cute and persnickety and a multi-talented pro…It truly was one big happy family.”
6’4″ Howard Keel is considered the Errol Flynn and Clark Gable of musicals in the 1950’s. However, a lot of people will remember him best as Clayton Farlow in the legendary series Dallas.

The seven brothers & brides couples are:

Adam & Milly
Benjamin & Dorcas
Caleb & Ruth
Daniel & Martha
Ephraim & Liza
Frank & Sarah
Gideon & Alice

If you’ve never seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Amazon dvd link), I highly recommend it. Heck, I highly recommend it if you’ve seen it a hundred times. You’ll enjoy one hundred and one just as much…. trust me, I’d know.

This movie is from a time when fun was the name of the game. No one worried about political correctness (don’t even get me started) – all they worried about was having a great time and giving the audience a fun ride.

Mission beautifully accomplished.

In the coming days, I’ll add more trivia and information for the entire wonderful cast. In the meantime, I hope you’ll grab your own dvd and take a trip back to a simpler…. much, much simpler… time.

Julie Newmar and Jeff Richards – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Adorable Handmade Audrey Hepburn Doll

October 22, 2015 By Joi Leave a Comment

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this one!

As I’ve often said, Audrey Hepburn is one of the Old Hollywood stars I “collect” with a voracious appetite. As in, EVERYTHING remotely associated with her and her films. I have an especially strong love for Audrey Hepburn dolls. This is is an Audrey Hepburn Doll unlike any other Audrey Hepburn doll!

She’s adorable – smiling ear to ear in all of her splendid Breakfast at Tiffany’s regalia.

This handmade beauty is available on Amazon for a lot less than you’d expect.

The original watercolor painting illustration artwork by KahriAnne Kerr of Audrey Hepburn is printed on Linen/Cotton Canvas with a solid black linen back. It’s filled with poly fiber fill to create an adorable 10.5″ tall doll.

Click through the link or image to take a closer look. You’ll find a lot more similar dolls by the artist and, trust me, you’ll love them all.

Audrey Hepburn

Getting to Know Jay Novello

May 19, 2008 By Joi 1 Comment

You may not recognize the name Jay Novello, but I’m certain you recognize his very expressive face – from more places than you may realize.

This delightful character actor was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 22, 1904 to Italian parents – explaining why he learned to speak Italian before English. He died in 1982 from lung cancer, but we’re here to keep memories alive, and Jay Novello has provided us with some great material to draw from!

He has a very impressive filmography resume – having worked in just about every genre imaginable. He even played a Japanese spy in Adventures of Smilin’ Jack (1943). He is, however, best known for his work on television. Many people remember him as the scheming Mayor Lugato in “McHale’s Navy” (1962). Since I’ve never seen a single episode of McHale’s Navy, I’m not at all familiar with his work on the show. He did, however, appear on two series that I haven’t gone a day without watching since I can’t remember when: I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith.

He had several very memorable roles on I Love Lucy:

“Mario” in the episode titled Visitor from Italy (1956)
“Mr. Beecher” in the episode titled The Sublease (1954) – He was hilarious as the extremely nervous tenant who Lucy tries to scare off after Fred and Ethel Mertz put a classified in the paper.
Mr. Merriweather in the episode titled The Seance (1951) – As a highly strung man trying to contact “Tillie” on the other side.

He also left his mark on Andy Griffith:

Jay Novello showed more of his straight man side to the one and only Don Knotts in two classic episodes of Andy Griffith. In Guest of Honor, He played a thief who tricked Barney into thinking he was a hotel detective. He even convinced Barney that the actual hotel detective was the crook. In Otis Sues the County, he played the sleazy attorney, Neil Bentley.

You may also recognize him from Make Room for Daddy (1958), The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (as Carlos De La Marca in 2 episodes, 1957-1958), Zorro (5 episodes, 1958), The Donna Reed Show (1960), Wagon Train (1960), The Lucy Show (1962), Perry Mason (1962), The Untouchables (Gino Romaldi, 1963), My Three Sons (Vincenzo in an episode from 1966), Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (2 episodes as Dr. Purdy, 1967-1969), Lassie (1968), Family Affair (3 episodes, 1969), Bonanza (2 episodes, 1965 and 1969), The Flying Nun (1969), Ironside (1971), The Mod Squad (2 episodes, 1969-1971), The Brady Bunch (as Mr. Martinelli in an episode from 1973), Kojak (1976), Chico and the Man (1976)…..

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to learn much about Jay Novello’s personal life. His wife’s name was Paticia and they had one daughter, Yvonne. One of my favorite ways to get a handle on someone is to read their quotes, but I haven’t been able to find even one. I’m still on the hunt, though, so check back.

Mr. Novello may have something to say and you wouldn’t want to miss it!

Jimmy Stewart’s 100th Birthday

April 30, 2008 By Joi Leave a Comment

Jimmy Stewart, Photographed by Carl Van Vechten

One of the coolest, most lovable actors EVER… and certainly one of my personal favorites… Jimmy Stewart, was born nearly 100 years ago on May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania. To honor him, Turner Classic Movies will be showing some of his best movies during the month of May.

The movies that’ll be shown are:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Harvey (1950)

Rear Window (1954)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

I guess it’s obvious why my favorite Jimmy Stewart movie isn’t being included. It just wouldn’t be the same to watch It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) without a Christmas tree and a plate of Christmas cookies and fudge nearby.

Click HERE for the Jimmy Stewart Profile on TCM.com.

Yvonne De Carlo: There Was More to Her Than Just Lily Munster

January 12, 2007 By Joi Leave a Comment

We lost Yvonne De Carlo last week. Most people remember her as Lily Munster from The Munsters – a ridiculously fun tv series that ran (surprisingly) for only two seasons. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve seen each and every episode in reruns about 500 times. I never got into the Addams Family or a lot of the other little shows from that time…but The Munsters? I grew up with them and never saw fit to grow away from them. If a marathon came on television right now, I’d fly out of my home office, grab snacks and sweet tea, and assume my position in the den.

And dare anyone to disturb me!

My dad and I would watch them faithfully when I was growing up…. and laugh at the same jokes and bits each time. I’ll never forget the time he told me that “Lily” was actually a real beauty. I thought he was pulling my leg, so the next day my mom got her hands on some old pictures of the actress and they proved my dad’s point.

Boy did they ever!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw just how gorgeous Yvonne De Carlo actually was. And, yet here she is remembered as a green-faced vampire married to Herman. Every newspaper I’ve seen has shown a picture of her as lily with her death announcement. At first I thought it seemed kind of a shame – but then I thought about it. What better way to be remembered than someone who people loved? Someone who made them laugh and, for thirty minutes made them forget all of their worries?!

Now, that’s a legacy.

A few fast facts:

She was born in Vacouver.

Her name was actually Margaret “Peggy” Yvonne Middleton.

Yvonne’s dad walked out on the family when she was only 3. The mom worked as a waitress to support the family, but she’d always dreamed of a career in Hollywood. So, she really encouraged Yvonne to go in that direction.

Her mom first took her to Hollywood when she was only 15 years old. Apparently, there wasn’t much of a call for baby beauties, so they returned home and tried again when Yvonne was 18 years old.

Yvonne starred opposite Charleston Heston in The Ten Commandments. She gives a memorable performance as the wife of Heston’s Moses.

She married actor and stuntman Robert Morgan in 1955. They appeared together in Death of a Scoundrel.

Yvonne and Robert had two sons. After the birth of her children, Yvonne took time off from acting. However, while working as a stuntman on the set of How the West Was Won (1962; with Henry Fonda), Robert was nearly killed when he was pinned underneath an avalanche of logs. Yvonne returned to work to support her family as well as pay for his outrageous medical bills. It took him several years to recover.

During this time, she took roles in several films, including McLintock! (1963 with John Wayne) and Law of the Lawless (1964 with Dale Robertson and John Agar). She was then cast as the infamous Lily Munster in the CBS series The Munsters.

Sometimes people wonder why Yvonne De Carlo took such a role in a television series. That question can be laid to rest – she was doing what a mother and wife had to do to support her family, and I’m an even bigger fan than before.

(Continued Below…)

Yvonne DeCarlo’s Career:

I Look at You (1941)
The Kink of the Campus (1941)
Youth on Parade (1942)
Lucky Jordan (1942)
Harvard, Here I Come! (1942)
This Gun for Hire (1942)
Road to Morocco (1942)
True to Life (1943)
So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
Salute for Three (1943)
Rhythm Parade (1943)
Let’s Face It (1943)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Deerslayer (1943)
The Crystal Ball (1943)
Standing Room Only (1944)
Rainbow Island (1944)
Here Come the Waves (1944)
The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944)
Practically Yours (1944)
Salome Where She Danced (1945)
Bring on the Girls (1945)
Frontier Girl (1945)
Song of Scheherazade (1947)
Brute Force (1947)
Slave Girl (1947)
River Lady (1948)
Casbah (1948)
Black Bart (1948)
The Gal Who Took the West (1949)
Criss Cross (1949)
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)

The Desert Hawk (1950)
Buccaneer’s Girl (1950)
Silver City (1951)
Tomahawk (1951)
Hotel Sahara (1951)
Scarlet Angel (1952)
The San Francisco Story (1952)
Sea Devils (1952)
Sombrero (1953)
The Captain’s Paradise (1953)
Fort Algiers (1953)
Happy Ever After (1954)
The Contessa’s Secret (1954)
Border River (1954)
Passion (1954)
Shotgun (1955)
Flame of the Islands (1955)
Raw Edge (1956)
Magic Fire (1956)
Death of a Scoundrel (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Band of Angels (1957)
The Sword and the Cross (aka La Spada e la croce – 1958)
Timbuktu (1959)

McLintock (1963)
Law of the Lawless (1964)
A Global Affair (1964)
Munster, Go Home (1966)
Hostile Guns (1967)
The Power (1968)
Arizona Bushwhackers (1968)

The Seven Minutes (1971)
The Delta Factor (1971)
Blazing Stewardesses (1974)
The Girl on the Late Late Show (TV-1974)
The Mark of Zorro (TV-1974)
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975)
Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
La casa de las sombras (1976)
Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977)
Nocturna (1979)

Silent Scream (1980)
The Man with Bogart’s Face (1980)
Guyana Cult of the Damned (1980)
Play Dead (1981)
Liar’s Moon (1981)
The Munster’s Revenge (1981)
National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982)
Vultures (1983)
Flesh and Bullets (1985)
A Masterpiece of Murder (TV-1986)
American Gothic (1988)
Cellar Dweller (1988)

Mirror, Mirror (1990)
Oscar (1991)
The Naked Truth (1992)
Desert Kickboxer (1992)
The Sorority House Murders (1993)
Seasons of the Heart (1993)
Here Come the Munsters (TV-1995)
The Barefoot Executive (1995)

TV Series – Cast:
The Munsters (1964-1965)

Rest in Peace.