Marsha Hunt, Irene Papas. Henry Silva and Jean-Luc Godard, RIP -- September 19, 2022

listal.com

Beautiful actress Martha Hunt has died at the age of 104. Everyone I know who met her said she was a nice person. She was also one of our last links to old Hollywood. I like everything I have seen her in, like Kid Glove Killer with Van Heflin. She got blacklisted, but was able to work on Broadway. In later years, she played the mother in Johnny Got His Gun, based on the novel by Dalton Trumbo, who had also been blacklisted.

    

www.listal.com

www.listal.com

listal.com

Greek actress Irene Papas has also died.

listal.com

Actor Henry Silva also died. He was in everything, but I never paid much attention to him. 

www.listal.com

Director Jean-Luc Godard has also died. When I was a regular cinema-goer, it was hard to find his current movies being shown in San Francisco. Even his early ones like Breathless were hard to find. He was a member of the Nouvelle Vague

listal.com

listal.com

Johnny Got His Gun -- May 25, 2020

www.listal.com

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. 

One summer while I was in high school, I read Dalton Trumbo's book Johnny Got His Gun, the story of a wounded soldier who lost his limbs, his eyes, his ears and his mouth. It scared the heck out of me.   Later, I saw the 1971 movie adaption, starring Timothy Bottoms, on television.  It scared me, too. 

Kirk Douglas, RIP -- February 5, 2020

www.listal.com

Actor Kirk Douglas has died at the age of 103. He was passionate about his work and I have always admired him. 

He grew up poor, but wanted to be an actor after he recited a poem in kindergarten.  He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with Betty Joan Perske, who later became Lauren Bacall. She had a crush on him, but he probably felt that she was too young. After Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Navy and served until 1944, when he was discharged because of wounds.

Lauren Bacall helped him move from Broadway plays to the movies.

He made many good movies, including Out of the Past, In Harm's Way and Paths of Glory. In his own productions like Spartacus, he helped to break the Hollywood blacklist.  Dalton Trumbo received a credit under his own name.

 I took the photo of his hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese in July, 2012.

Marsha Hunt 100 -- October 17, 2017

www.listal.com

Actress Marsha Hunt was born 100 years ago today, on 17-October-1917, and, last I heard, is still alive.  I like everything I have seen her in, like Kid Glove Killer with Van Heflin.  She got blacklisted, but was able to work on Broadway./ 

www.listal.com

In later years, she played the mother in Johnny Got His Gun, based on the novel by Dalton Trumbo, who had also been blacklisted. 

Kirk Douglas 100 - December 9, 2016

www.listal.com

Actor Kirk Douglas was born 100 years ago today, on 09-December-1916.  He is still with us and I hope he is having a wonderful birthday. He was passionate about his work and I have always admired him. 

He grew up poor, but wanted to be an actor after he recited a poem in kindergarten.  He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with Betty Joan Perske, who later became Lauren Bacall. She had a crush on him, but he probably felt that she was too young. AFter Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Navy and served until 1944, when he was discharged because of wounds.

Lauren Bacall helped him move from Broadway plays to the movies.

He made many good movies, including Out of the Past, In Harm's Way and Paths of Glory. In his own productions like Spartacus, he helped to break the Hollywood blacklist.  Dalton Trumbo received a credit under his own name.

 I took the photo of his hand and footprints at Grauman's Chinese in July, 2012.