G is for John Gilbert

 

 

Born: July 10, 1897 or 1899 or 1895 but most of my books say 1897

Death: January 9, 1936

Aged: 38 years old-heart attack brought on by alcoholism

Real Name: John Cecil Pringle

Marriages: 4 times-Leatrice Joy, Ina Claire, Virginia Bruce

Affairs: Greta Garbo, Jeanne Eagles, Marlene Dietrich

Famous Partner: Greta Garbo

Considered the worst tragedy of silent film actors who did not make it to sound...but it is not that simple. Born to very poor vaudeville parents-his father skipped out and his mother would often introduce him to his new "daddy". He would be beaten, bullied and knew what starvation meant. He broke into pictures quite young starting in stunt work but, since he was very handsome, he quickly went into lead roles. He showed a natural affinity to writing and directing which he did do in some early pictures but the powers at be wanted him in front of the camera. He first wooed Leatrice Joy who was Cecil B DeMille's favourite actresses and they had a daughter together who later wrote a wonderful book about her father  called "Dark Star".  He became a huge star and the highest paid (a 1 million dollar contract)  with MGM. When he first met Garbo on the set of "Flesh and the Devil" there was an instant attraction. Their first scene was a kissing scene and when the director yelled "Cut" they continued kissing and everyone left the set. She moved in with him and he proposed. There was to be a double wedding with King and Florence Vidor. Gilbert waited and waited but she was a no-show.  Gilbert was heart broken and was in the washroom when Louis B Mayer came in and said " Just F$#! her, don't marry her". With that, Gilbert punched Mayer in the face and he went down. Mayer was beyond angry and vowed to destroy Gilbert. Mayer tried to break Gilbert's contract but it was solid. Gilbert made his talking debut and people did not take to his voice. He had a tenor voice not a baritone. There are even reports that Mayer fiddled with the sound to make it even worse but there is no evidence to support this theory.  Regardless, one can see his career steadily going down and, instead of being given great films and scripts, he was given horrible scripts that did nothing to help his voice or his talent ("His Glorious Night" has been satirized in "Singing In The Rain"-"I love you, I love you, I love you). Gilbert began to drink heavily but refused to give up his contract and kept sliding further and further. By now Garbo was the huge star and he was not, but she refused to work with no one else but him in the film "Queen Christina" . Later, Marlene Dietrich also tried to help him by getting him sober but it was too late. He died of a heart attack but not alone as everyone thought- he was having sex with Marlene Dietrich and died (what a way to go). She called the studio first who came and brought him to his own place and then the police were called. Sad end to a great actor who had so much more to offer.

Films: "Monte Cristo", "Madness of Youth", "He Who Gets Slapped", "The Merry Widow", "The Big Parade", "La Boheme", "Flesh and the Devil", "Love", "Woman of Affairs", "Downstairs", "Queen Christina"

Quote: When wanting to film "Man, Woman and Sin", Mayer objected to the mother being portrayed as a prostitute. John replied, "What's wrong with that, my own mother was a whore!" Mayer decked him.

The films in bold I would see first

F for Douglas Fairbanks

Born: May 23, 1883

Died: December 12, 1939

Aged: 56 years-heart attack

Real Name: Douglas Elton Ullman

Marriages: 3 times-2nd to Mary Pickford and 3rd to Lady Sylvia Ashley

Famous Friend: Charlie Chaplin

Famous Son: Douglas Fairbanks Jnr.

Happy go-lucky, swashbuckling prankster who was very physically fit, did most of his own stunts and never drank. His physique and looks were the basis of Superman and his portrayal of Zorro  was the inspiration for Batman! He was a founding member of the Oscars. He loved doing his own stunts and everything was designed in his films according to his weight and height so it looked like he did them with ease. He and Chaplin loved hanging out together and truly enjoyed one another's company. They went on a War Bond selling tour which brought in huge crowds and helped the war effort (WW1).  Fairbanks, Chaplin, D.W. Griffith (the father of film he is often called-a director) and Mary Pickford, "America's Sweetheart" (she was Canadian) formed United Artists so they could be independent from the other studios. He and Pickford met in the teens and fell deeply in love even though both were married to others at the time. When his mother died, he and Mary went for a drive and when he broke down, they noticed the clock, in the car, stopped at the moment his mom had died. They took this as a sign of their love and their catch phrase to each other was "By The Clock".  They were able to get divorces, married and honeymooned in Europe. In London they were so overwhelmed by their fans(300,000) that there was a real fear of being trampled to death. There are pictures of Pickford on Fairbanks shoulders and she looks scared! They bought a home in Hollywood which they named "Pickfair" and it became THE place to be invited over. Kings, presidents, heads of state all stayed at Pickfair. Lord Mountbatten had his honeymoon there.(Pickfair was bought by Pia Zadora and, despite opposition from his son and the historical society, she razed it to the ground in 1990). They were more famous than anyone you could think of today. Sadly, they divorced but never fell out of love for one another and both kept pictures of one another on their bedside table even though they remarried to other people. In 1939 he suffered a heart attack, he was in poor condition and family and friends came to see him. He told his brother to see Mary and give her a message-"By The Clock".

Films:  "The Americano", "Wild and Wooly", "The Mark of Zorro",  "The 3 Musketeers", "Robin Hood", "The Thief of Bagdad", "The Black Pirate", "The Gaucho", "The Taming of the Shrew"

Quote: (his last words) "I never felt better in my life."

In London

 selling war bonds

The films in bold are films to choose first to watch but others  are great too

Jeanne Eagels

Born: June 26, 1890

Died: October 3, 1929

Aged: 39 years-accidental overdose(maybe)

Real Name: Eugenia Amelia Eagles

Married: twice-2nd to college football star, Ted Coy

Affairs: Arthur Fiedler (he said she was the love of his life), John Gilbert, Prince of Wales

Famous Friend: Clifton Webb

She was the Meryl Streep of her day! Temperamental diva who was a major star on stage, wowed film audiences and is now almost totally forgotten. Came from a very poor family. She left and toured with an acting troupe in tent shows. Married one of the actors and had a child but gave the child up for adoption. She was noticed by the famous David Belasco who got her into Broadway and the Ziegfeld Follies. She rose to stardom playing Sadie Thompson in "Rain" on Broadway and was a huge hit! She played this role for a total of 1,500 performances and people, in the theatre, still talk about her great performance. Of course, Hollywood beckoned and, even though she made a couple of films in the teens, she did not take Hollywood by storm until the 1920's. Unfortunately, her temperament, anxieties, alcohol and drug use was getting in the way. Her great friend Clifton Webb almost married her, even though he was gay, but his mommy stopped him (they were very close). They remained the closest of friends until her untimely death. Due to her wild ways and diva style she was banned from the theatre for 15 months. Due to the harsh lights used in early cinema she developed  "Klieg Eyes" and needed minor surgery to correct it. Some time later she went back to the hospital and was in very poor shape. She died and her death was ruled accidental overdose due to either Chloral hydrate or cocaine or heroin. One can also find sources claiming she committed suicide. There are also sources stating she was given something to calm down and this reacted negatively to what was already in her system and this is what killed her. One will never know. She is the first person nominated for an Academy Award posthumously.

Oscar Nomination: "The Letter"

Films: "The Cross Bearers", "Man, Woman and Sin", "Jealousy"


Quote: "I'm the greatest actress in the world and the greatest failure and nobody gives a damn"

D for Olivia De Havilland

Born: July 1, 1916

Died: Not Dead yet!

Age: 98 Yrs old and going!!

Marriages: Twice

Affairs: Howard Hughes, James Stewart, John Huston (no one was married at the time)

Famous Sibling: Joan Fontaine ("And I Caaan't Stand her!")

Famous Partner: Errol Flynn

Bright, good girl with hidden strengths. A contract player at Warner Bros. She was often placed on suspension since she did not want to play the roles they gave her. These suspensions kept being added to her 7 year contract. She sued Warner Bros and, where Bette Davis lost, Olivia De Havilland won her case even though she did not work for 3 years. This became known as the De Havilland Decision and meant the beginning of the end of the studio contract days. After this, she became a free agent and started getting better roles. She worked 9 times with Errol Flynn and she was strongly attracted to Mr. Flynn but she knew his wild ways and so resisted the temptation. It is stated that she was his great love even though they never had an affair. In fact, at one Hollywood party Errol Flynn and John Huston had a huge fight over Ms. De Havilland and I believe Huston won. The feud, sibling rivalry and just plain dislike for her sister (the feeling was mutual) is legendary. Some say it became worse when Joan Fontaine won the Oscar before Olivia. Olivia stated she was upset by what her sister said about her then husband. Whatever the reason, it was caught on camera when Olivia De Havilland snubbed her sister who had her hand outstretched to congratulate her for winning the Oscar. They may have spoken in the 70's although am unsure about this. They did not speak in decades and never will since Joan Fontaine died last year.  Talk about hate! Olivia went into semi-retirement in the mid 50's  when she remarried, moved to Paris (ended in amicable divorce in the 1970's) to raise her 2 children (her son died in 1991). She still resides in the outskirts of Paris to this day.

Oscar Nominations: "Gone With The Wind", "Hold Back The Dawn", "The Snake Pit"

Oscar Wins: " To Each His Own", "The Heiress"

Films: "Midsummer's Night's Dream",  "Captain Blood",  "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "Santa Fe Trail", "They Died With Their Boots On", "The Dark Mirror", "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte", "Airport '77"

Quote: "Famous people feel they must perpetually be in the crest of the wave, not realizing that it is against all the rules of life. You can't be on top all the time; it isn't natural."

The 2 films I would choose to see first are in bold....you can pick what you like though:)

C is for James Cagney

Born: July 17, 1899

Died: March 30, 1986

Aged: 86 yrs-from a Heart Attack (had diabetes)

Married: Once-happily! over 64 years

Famous Sibling: Jeanne Cagney

Friends: Pat O'Brien, Frank McHugh

He was born in New York's "Hell's Kitchen"-not a nice place. He walked and talked in a rapid staccato style. Short fire cracker known to be a tough guy but was also a song and dance man. In fact, Mikhail Baryshnikov said that Cagney was his favourite dancer! Being mostly Irish (with a little bit of Norway in him too), he was often seen with his best friends(mentioned above) and they became known as "The Irish Mafia". Actually, James Cagney was trying to get rid of the real mafia out of Hollywood and it became so dangerous that there was a hit placed on him. George Raft(actor and in deep with the mafia) pleaded with the powers at be to stop their intent on killing this famed actor. In these good ole days of playing gangsters, they used real bullets! So when watching these old movies where Cagney is running and you see the bricks being damaged by the bullets, they really are being damaged by the bullets. There were times that the bullets just missed Cagney. He was under contract with Warners and often fought with the Brothers who then would place him under suspension and add the time (months) to his 7 year contract. Later in his career, he would often feign illness so it would extend the working days. He wanted to film crew to get paid extra since he felt they were horribly under paid. He retired in the early '60's  but he came back in 1981 on the advice of his doctor and created his final role in "Ragtime".

Oscar Nominations: "Angels With Dirty Faces", "Love Me or Leave Me" (his favourite film)

Oscar Win: " Yankee Doodle Dandy"

Films: "Public Enemy", "Footlight Parade", "The Strawberry Blonde", "City For Conquest", "White Heat", "Mister Roberts", "One, Two, Three"

Quote: "Learn your lines, find your mark, look'em in the eye and tell'em  the truth"

OK the 2 films in bold is what I would choose to see first but, again, all are great:)

B is for Humphrey Bogart

Born: December 25, 1899 (according to some, others state in January 1899)

Died: January 14, 1957

Aged: 57 yrs-died of throat cancer

Nickname: Bogie

Married: 4 times-all actresses-3rd one-Mayo Methot, last-Lauren Bacall

Famous Partners: Lauren Bacall, John Huston (Director and his best friend)

Hard-drinking, minimum 2 pack a day smoking Man's Man who became an unexpected sex symbol and major film icon. He got his big break when Leslie Howard fought for Humphrey Bogart to star in the film version of "The Petrified Forest". Because of this actor(Ashley Wilkes from "Gone With The Wind"), Bogart got his big break and, as a result, named his daughter Leslie in honour of his friend. This man could play gangsters and hard-boiled detectives equally well. His 3rd marriage to Mayo Methot was one long drunken brawl and they were known as the "Battling Bogarts". She was so jealous and, well, nuts, that she stabbed him once but he was not seriously wounded and he took it with a grain of salt. He met Lauren Bacall on set and, despite the age difference (25 years) they were a perfect match. She went with him to Africa when He and Katherine Hepburn filmed "The African Queen" and everyone became ill except for Bogart and John Huston. Reason? They only drank booze and never touched water.  When he became ill with cancer, a small group of friends formed over at Bogart and Bacall's place which included Judy Garland, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. After one drunken debauched night, Lauren Bacall looked at the bunch and called them a "Rat Pack". Yes this is where it all began. Bogart loved to play chess and was an expert and often won. He also loved the ocean and named his yacht "The Santana" and enjoyed every spare moment on his boat.

Oscar Nominations: "Casablanca", "The Caine Mutiny"

Oscar Wins: "The African Queen"

Films: ""Dark Victory", "High Sierra", "The Maltese Falcon", "To Have and Have Not", "The Big Sleep", "Key Largo", "Treasure of the Sierra Madre", "Beat The Devil", "The Harder They Fall".

Quote: "The trouble with the world is that it is always one drink behind"

The films I bold are the ones I would choose to see but all are great

The start of the A to Z and the IWSG day Combo!!

It is the first Wednesday of the month which means it is the Insecure Writers Support group headed by the great Alex J Cavanaugh. It is where one can release their insecurities, triumphs, fears regarding writing. I may not be a writer, per se, but I am starting the A to Z Challenge and, par for the course, I procrastinated thinking I could get it all done 2 weeks before the start. Of course I didn't count on getting sick-stupid germs. Anyhoo, my fear is that I won't get everything completed or that I bore the hell out of you and you would rather watch a you tube video on bowling or golf-make that lawn bowling and mini-putt.

The A to Z challenge was started by Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out and this challenge has grown by leaps and bounds. I hope everyone who visits will check it out since you can enter the  A to Z by creating cards, animals, books, well...anything (Next year perhaps?)! So here we go, my first entry and it is all about film stars!

JEAN ARTHUR

Born: October 17, 1900

Died: June 19, 1991

Aged: 90 yrs-Heart Failure (had a stroke a couple years earlier

Real Name: Gladys Georganna Greene

Married: twice-first marriage lasted one day and was annulled.

Famous Partner: James Stewart; Frank Capra (director who stated she was his favourite actress)

Very, Very reclusive actress who was so insecure she would often cry, whine and vomit before having to do a scene. Once the scene was done, she would run to her dressing room and hide. She had a cute, froggie, raspy little girl type voice that was quite endearing. She hated being under contract and when her contract was up with Columbia Pictures, she literally ran through the studio streets jumping for joy and yelling "I'm Free!" She was known to be difficult as well and temperamental.  Once she retired from films, she never looked back. She did try the theatre but her insecurities won out and was replaced (most famous was "Born Yesterday" which went to her understudy Judy Holiday who won fame and the film role). She tried TV in the mid 1960's playing a lawyer but it didn't last long. She taught drama at Vassar and Meryl Streep was one of her students whom she thought would go far (I guess she was right:)) Her favourite male star was Gary Cooper, not Jimmy Stewart. She was an ardent lover of animals and was once arrested for trespassing on a neighbours yard because she thought the dog was not being treated well-Good for her!

Oscar Nominations: "The More The Merrier"

Films: "The Plainsman", "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", "You Can't Take It With You", "Only Angels Have Wings", "A Foreign Affair", "Shane".

Quote: (When asked to grant an interview about Hollywood)-"I'd rather have my throat slit"

In bold-the film I would choose to watch