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Motion Picture News, 21-August-1920
The Mutiny of the Elsinore was based on one of the few Jack London novels that I have not read. The film is probably lost. It was directed by Edward Sloman.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Charlie Parker 100 -- August 29, 2020
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| www.listal.com |
Charlie Parker, sax player, composer and music visionary, was born 100 years ago today, on 29-August-1920. Charlie Parker and his friend Dizzy Gillespie were two of the founding fathers of bebop. Bird influenced everyone.
Bird had an addiction to heroin and other opioids, but it didn't rule his life right away. He made many recordings and influenced young musicians like Miles Davis and Jackie McLean. Parker tried to tell young musicians not to copy his drug use, but many wound up addicted to heroin.
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| www.listal.com |
Clint Eastwood made a movie called Bird, which starred Forrest Whitacker as Parker. The movie showed him as being screwed up his whole life. That is an exaggeration.
People often say that Bird With Strings is one of their favorite albums.
Chadwick Boseman, RIP -- August 29, 2020
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| Hollywood Reporter |
Actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer at the age of 43. My prayers for his family to get through this tragic loss. He was great as Jackie Robinson. The Saturday Night Live he hosted after the release of The Black Panther was the best of the season. He had a wonderful smile.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Babe Ruth The Great American Personality -- August 27, 2020
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| Motion Picture News, 21-August-1920 |
Baseball superstar Babe Ruth starred in Headin' Home, a feature film which still exists. It was not a great movie, in part because while the Babe could hit and pitch, he could not act.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Locklear -- A Crusader in the Conquest of the Air -- August 25, 2020
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| Motion Picture News, 21-August-1920 |
After serving in the US Army Air Service during World War I, Ormer Locklear became a barnstormer who specialized in wing walking. He and his partner Skeets Elliot toured the country thrilling audiences. While shooting their second starring movie, The Skywayman (great title), pilot Elliot was blinded by spotlights during a night dive and both men were killed. The producers left the scene in the movie.
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| Motion Picture News, 21-August-1920 |
Sunday, August 23, 2020
You Will Have No "Blue" Mondays -- August 23, 2020
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| Motion Picture News, 07-August-1920 |
Henry (Pathé) Lehrman started out at Biograph, then went to Keystone with Mack Sennett, then left Sennett to found L-KO (Lehrman Knock-Out) Komedies. He left L-KO to produce Sunshine Comedies for Fox. Sunshine Comedies frequently featured pretty girls and lions. Lehrman left Fox to make comedies released by First National. Fox Sunshine still had plenty of pretty girls.
Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff was the most popular comic strip in America for many years. Augustus Mutt and Jeff had many timely adventures.
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| Motion Picture News, 07-August-1920 |
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Ray Bradbury 100 -- August 22, 2020
Ray Bradbury was born 100 years ago today, on 22-August-1920. I'm not usually a science fiction fan, but he wrote science fiction that was very human-centered, and he wrote many stories that were not science fiction. I first read Dandelion Wine while I was in grammar school and it made an impression on me, especially the part about the trolley. I think I heard a series of X Minus One or Dimension X adaptions of The Martian Chronicles before I read it.
He wanted to be a magician. I went with my family to hear him speak at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater, but I was too young to remember much.
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