by Nathaniel R
Your assignment should you choose to accept it is this: Choose a few of these fine talents this year and investigate the riches of their filmographies while they're still walking the Earth. Here's the list...
200 Oldest Living Screen Stars
101 years old
Janie Paige in "Silk Stockings"
01 Janis Paige (9/16/22)
This singing stage and screen actress made big impressions in Silk Stockings and Please Don't Eat the Daisies in the late 50s early 60s but her breakthrough stage role went to Doris Day on film (The Pajama Game). She later moved to TV soaps where she worked through the early 1990s...
Your assignment should you choose to accept it is this: Choose a few of these fine talents this year and investigate the riches of their filmographies while they're still walking the Earth. Here's the list...
200 Oldest Living Screen Stars
101 years old
Janie Paige in "Silk Stockings"
01 Janis Paige (9/16/22)
This singing stage and screen actress made big impressions in Silk Stockings and Please Don't Eat the Daisies in the late 50s early 60s but her breakthrough stage role went to Doris Day on film (The Pajama Game). She later moved to TV soaps where she worked through the early 1990s...
- 3/14/2024
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Exclusive: Oscar-winning production designer William A. Horning and Oscar-nominated production designer, costume designer and producer Polly Platt will be inducted into the Art Directors Guild’s Hall of Fame this year for their “extraordinary contributions to the art of visual storytelling.”
The guild’s 26th annual awards will be held in-person March 5 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
“The creative and professional standards set by the 2022 Adg Awards Hall of Fame recipients Polly Platt and William A. Horning are nonpareil,” said Nelson Coates, the guild’s president. “The breadth of the narrative design achievement and depth of storytelling excellence of both legendary designers has served as a benchmark for production design and collaboration and will continue to inspire for generations to come.”
2022 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, SAG, BAFTAs & More
Horning, who died in 1959, won Oscars for Ben-Hur and Gigi and was Oscar-nominated for The Wizard of Oz,...
The guild’s 26th annual awards will be held in-person March 5 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
“The creative and professional standards set by the 2022 Adg Awards Hall of Fame recipients Polly Platt and William A. Horning are nonpareil,” said Nelson Coates, the guild’s president. “The breadth of the narrative design achievement and depth of storytelling excellence of both legendary designers has served as a benchmark for production design and collaboration and will continue to inspire for generations to come.”
2022 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, SAG, BAFTAs & More
Horning, who died in 1959, won Oscars for Ben-Hur and Gigi and was Oscar-nominated for The Wizard of Oz,...
- 2/15/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Let’s be real: Navigating the list of Oscar nominees represents a challenge this year, so I was intrigued by one filmmaker’s winning formula. “The key is to mix and match,” he advised. “I watch the characters trudge across Nomadland, then turn to Fred Astaire dancing in Top Hat. I move from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to Easter Parade.” The objective: “It’s the real vs. the unreal; I need them back-to-back to appreciate them. Or survive them.”
His explanation may seem glib, but it reflects the escape mechanism adopted by some film devotees in coping with the isolation of the lockdown year – a re-excavation of Hollywood glitz. The current slate of nominees vividly reflects the themes of the moment — race, caste, sexual politics, immigration. It also embodies the angst-ridden mood of Hollywood.
All of which would have puzzled Fred Astaire. In his movie Funny Face, when Astaire...
His explanation may seem glib, but it reflects the escape mechanism adopted by some film devotees in coping with the isolation of the lockdown year – a re-excavation of Hollywood glitz. The current slate of nominees vividly reflects the themes of the moment — race, caste, sexual politics, immigration. It also embodies the angst-ridden mood of Hollywood.
All of which would have puzzled Fred Astaire. In his movie Funny Face, when Astaire...
- 3/25/2021
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Jon Favreau is already hard at work developing The Mandalorian Season 2 for Disney+. He already confirmed that he would direct an episode of the second season, but that was confirmed again at a recent press event. It was also revealed that Lando actor Carl Weathers is also likely to direct an episode of Season 2 as well which is pretty rad!
When previously talking about Season 2, Favreau said:
We’re working on season 2, writing, prepping with the directors and getting ready to direct myself, actually. I didn’t get a chance the last time around because I was doing Lion King. So I’ll step in for one of them.”
That’s great news and I love that Weathers could be directing an episode as well. This wouldn’t be Weather’s first directing gig. He’s directed several projects over the years including episodes of Silk Stockings, Sheena, For The People,...
When previously talking about Season 2, Favreau said:
We’re working on season 2, writing, prepping with the directors and getting ready to direct myself, actually. I didn’t get a chance the last time around because I was doing Lion King. So I’ll step in for one of them.”
That’s great news and I love that Weathers could be directing an episode as well. This wouldn’t be Weather’s first directing gig. He’s directed several projects over the years including episodes of Silk Stockings, Sheena, For The People,...
- 10/21/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Oscar-winning film composer and symphony orchestra conductor Andre Previn died Thursday at his home in Manhattan, his manager confirmed to the New York Times. He was 89.
The former enfant terrible of motion picture scoring and accomplished jazz pianist was honored with four Academy Awards. He won the first two, for best scoring of a musical picture (a category that has since been retired), for “Gigi” and “Porgy & Bess” in 1958 and 1959, respectively, while still in his 20s. He then won two for best adaptation or treatment (another retired sub-category) in 1963 and 1964 for “Irma la Douce” and “My Fair Lady,” respectively.
He later abandoned films to conduct such esteemed orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Previn’s jazz influence was pianist Art Tatum and, from the age of 12, he developed a proficiency in jazz piano, which led to his first film assignment at age 16, while still a...
The former enfant terrible of motion picture scoring and accomplished jazz pianist was honored with four Academy Awards. He won the first two, for best scoring of a musical picture (a category that has since been retired), for “Gigi” and “Porgy & Bess” in 1958 and 1959, respectively, while still in his 20s. He then won two for best adaptation or treatment (another retired sub-category) in 1963 and 1964 for “Irma la Douce” and “My Fair Lady,” respectively.
He later abandoned films to conduct such esteemed orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Previn’s jazz influence was pianist Art Tatum and, from the age of 12, he developed a proficiency in jazz piano, which led to his first film assignment at age 16, while still a...
- 2/28/2019
- by Richard Natale
- Variety Film + TV
So much time, so few movies to see. Scratch that. Reverse it.
Running a little later than usual this year, the 2018 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival gets under way this coming Thursday, screening approximately 88 films and special programs over the course of the festival’s three-and-a-half days, beginning Thursday evening, and no doubt about it, this year’s schedule, no less than any other year, will lay out a banquet for classic film buffs, casual film fans and harder-core cinephiles looking for the opportunity to see long-time favorites as well as rare and unusual treats on the big screen. I’ve attended every festival since its inaugural run back in 2010, and since then if I have not reined in my enthusiasm for the festival and being given the opportunity to attend it every year, then I have at least managed to lasso my verbiage. That first year I wrote about...
Running a little later than usual this year, the 2018 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival gets under way this coming Thursday, screening approximately 88 films and special programs over the course of the festival’s three-and-a-half days, beginning Thursday evening, and no doubt about it, this year’s schedule, no less than any other year, will lay out a banquet for classic film buffs, casual film fans and harder-core cinephiles looking for the opportunity to see long-time favorites as well as rare and unusual treats on the big screen. I’ve attended every festival since its inaugural run back in 2010, and since then if I have not reined in my enthusiasm for the festival and being given the opportunity to attend it every year, then I have at least managed to lasso my verbiage. That first year I wrote about...
- 4/23/2018
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
As a musical it’s excellent — fine tunes and lyrics, great singing and dancing by the ever-youthful Fred Astaire, the glorious songbird Petula Clark, and the impishly weird Tommy Steele cast appropriately as a grimacing Leprechaun. The update of what was a politically acute Broadway hit in 1947 is awkward but the show is a melodious pleasure — great color, fine voices and peppy direction by Francis Ford Coppola on his first big studio feature.
Finian’s Rainbow
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 145 141 min. / Street Date March 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Hancock, Al Freeman Jr., Ronald Colby, Dolph Sweet, Wright King, Louis Silas.
Cinematography: Philip Lathrop
Film Editor: Melvin Shapiro
Original Music: Ray Heindorf
Written by E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
Produced by Joseph Landon
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Finian’s Rainbow is a unique musical with a strange history.
Finian’s Rainbow
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 145 141 min. / Street Date March 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Hancock, Al Freeman Jr., Ronald Colby, Dolph Sweet, Wright King, Louis Silas.
Cinematography: Philip Lathrop
Film Editor: Melvin Shapiro
Original Music: Ray Heindorf
Written by E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
Produced by Joseph Landon
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Finian’s Rainbow is a unique musical with a strange history.
- 3/4/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
There are many great sales online this week, but the folks at Amazon are treating us to something special: 3 Warner Archive Blu-rays for $35.
While this might not be the lowest that we’ve seen prices on these Blu-rays (the WB Shop has had 5 for $50 sales in the past that have included Warner Archive Blu-rays), it is certainly a good deal on great films.
It looks as though many of these discs are selling quickly, and the time out from when they’ll ship for some of the more popular titles is growing. Below you’ll find a list of the titles which are included in this promotion.
As always, these are affiliate links and will help support this site, should you choose to make any purchases through them.
42nd Street A Mighty Wind Beware The Batman: Dark Justice Season 1 Part 2 Big Sleep Body Snatchers Cat On A Hot Tin Roof...
While this might not be the lowest that we’ve seen prices on these Blu-rays (the WB Shop has had 5 for $50 sales in the past that have included Warner Archive Blu-rays), it is certainly a good deal on great films.
It looks as though many of these discs are selling quickly, and the time out from when they’ll ship for some of the more popular titles is growing. Below you’ll find a list of the titles which are included in this promotion.
As always, these are affiliate links and will help support this site, should you choose to make any purchases through them.
42nd Street A Mighty Wind Beware The Batman: Dark Justice Season 1 Part 2 Big Sleep Body Snatchers Cat On A Hot Tin Roof...
- 11/21/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
It's in glorious Technicolor Metrocolor, CinemaScope and StereoPhonic Sound! Fred Astaire's final MGM musical gives him Cyd Charisse and a Cole Porter score, plus some nice Hermes Pan choreography. The script and Rouben Mamoulian's direction aren't the best, but the combined magic of the musical and dancing talent saves the day. Silk Stockings Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1957 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 117 min. / Street Date July 12, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Janis Paige, Peter Lorre, George Tobias, Jules Munshin, Joseph Buloff, Wim Sonneveld Cinematography Robert Bronner Art Direction Randall Duell, William A. Horning Film Editor Harold F. Kress Original Music Cole Porter Written by Abe Burrows, Leonard Gershe, George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Leonard Spigelgass Produced by Arthur Freed Directed by Rouben Mamoulian
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
On the Town? The Pajama Game? Damn Yankees? The Warner Archive Collection's next musical up for the...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
On the Town? The Pajama Game? Damn Yankees? The Warner Archive Collection's next musical up for the...
- 7/23/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In this episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the weeks of, June 21st and June 28th 2016.
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Follow-Up No episode last week Wrath of Khan exchange program Arrow, Twilight Time, and Criterion sales News Kino Lorber: No Retreat, No Surrender, The Lodger Warner Archive: To Have and Have Not, Silk Stockings Disney: Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition Criteron: Pan’s Labyrinth, September Line-up Arrow: Woody Allen Box Set Olive Films: September titles Code Red: Highpoint Family Honor, Headhunter (Diabolik preorders) Studio Canal: Leaving Las Vegas Saturn Awards: Winners Links to Amazon
July 21st
99 River Street Anesthesia Appointment With Crime Cornbread Earl and Me The Crush Embrace Of The Serpent Fantastic Planet Hidden Fear Home of Our Own Knight of Cups Midnight Special Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Vol. 2 Return of a...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Follow-Up No episode last week Wrath of Khan exchange program Arrow, Twilight Time, and Criterion sales News Kino Lorber: No Retreat, No Surrender, The Lodger Warner Archive: To Have and Have Not, Silk Stockings Disney: Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition Criteron: Pan’s Labyrinth, September Line-up Arrow: Woody Allen Box Set Olive Films: September titles Code Red: Highpoint Family Honor, Headhunter (Diabolik preorders) Studio Canal: Leaving Las Vegas Saturn Awards: Winners Links to Amazon
July 21st
99 River Street Anesthesia Appointment With Crime Cornbread Earl and Me The Crush Embrace Of The Serpent Fantastic Planet Hidden Fear Home of Our Own Knight of Cups Midnight Special Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Vol. 2 Return of a...
- 6/29/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Happy Birthday, Cyd Charisse Charisse began starring in films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly her films include Singin' in the Rain 1952, The Band Wagon 1953, Brigadoon 1954 and Silk Stockings 1957. She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.
- 3/8/2016
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today in 1955, Silk Stockings opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances. Silk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story Ninotchka and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.
- 2/24/2016
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
'The Merry Widow' with Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald and Minna Gombell under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch. Ernst Lubitsch movies: 'The Merry Widow,' 'Ninotchka' (See previous post: “Ernst Lubitsch Best Films: Passé Subtle 'Touch' in Age of Sledgehammer Filmmaking.”) Initially a project for Ramon Novarro – who for quite some time aspired to become an opera singer and who had a pleasant singing voice – The Merry Widow ultimately starred Maurice Chevalier, the hammiest film performer this side of Bob Hope, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler – the list goes on and on. Generally speaking, “hammy” isn't my idea of effective film acting. For that reason, I usually find Chevalier a major handicap to his movies, especially during the early talkie era; he upsets their dramatic (or comedic) balance much like Jack Nicholson in Martin Scorsese's The Departed or Jerry Lewis in anything (excepting Scorsese's The King of Comedy...
- 1/31/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The York Theatre Companyhas announced today Broadway's Klea Blackhurst York's Call Me Madame Mario Cantone Assassins, Erin Davie York's Silk Stockings, Side Show, Matt McGrath Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Mary Louise Wilson On the Twentieth Century, along with the acclaimed Yale Wiffenpoofs, have joined the roster of illustrious special guest performers who will gather to honor Broadway and Hollywood legend Angela Lansbury at 2015 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on Monday, November 16, 2015 at Guastavino's 409 East 59th Street.
- 10/28/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Fred Astaire ca. 1935. Fred Astaire movies: Dancing in the dark, on the ceiling on TCM Aug. 5, '15, is Fred Astaire Day on Turner Classic Movies, as TCM continues with its “Summer Under the Stars” series. Just don't expect any rare Astaire movies, as the actor-singer-dancer's star vehicles – mostly Rko or MGM productions – have been TCM staples since the early days of the cable channel in the mid-'90s. True, Fred Astaire was also featured in smaller, lesser-known fare like Byron Chudnow's The Amazing Dobermans (1976) and Yves Boisset's The Purple Taxi / Un taxi mauve (1977), but neither one can be found on the TCM schedule. (See TCM's Fred Astaire movie schedule further below.) Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals Some fans never tire of watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing together. With these particular fans in mind, TCM is showing – for the nth time – nine Astaire-Rogers musicals of the '30s,...
- 8/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
“A peach must be eaten, a drum must be beaten, and a woman needs something like that!”
Love Me Tonight plays at The Hi-Pointe Theater ( 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117) Saturday, July 11th at 10:30am as part of their Classic Film Series
I’ve never seen the 1932 Paramount production Love Me Tonight, a classic mix of comedy, romance, song and satire with a first-rate cast, but I will this weekend. The story takes place in France around the time the film was made. It’s an early musical that employs an unusual script device in places – rhyming dialog exchanges that often lead into song (think the early ‘Musical Novelty’ Stooges short The Woman Haters). Love Me Tonight is apparently a satire of French royalty and high society households. Its characters are either the idle rich leading empty, hedonistic lives, or their compliant, consenting household staff. Maurice Courtelin, a Parisian...
Love Me Tonight plays at The Hi-Pointe Theater ( 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117) Saturday, July 11th at 10:30am as part of their Classic Film Series
I’ve never seen the 1932 Paramount production Love Me Tonight, a classic mix of comedy, romance, song and satire with a first-rate cast, but I will this weekend. The story takes place in France around the time the film was made. It’s an early musical that employs an unusual script device in places – rhyming dialog exchanges that often lead into song (think the early ‘Musical Novelty’ Stooges short The Woman Haters). Love Me Tonight is apparently a satire of French royalty and high society households. Its characters are either the idle rich leading empty, hedonistic lives, or their compliant, consenting household staff. Maurice Courtelin, a Parisian...
- 7/7/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Happy Birthday, Cyd Charisse Charisse began starring in films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly her films include Singin' in the Rain 1952, The Band Wagon 1953, Brigadoon 1954 and Silk Stockings 1957. She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.
- 3/8/2015
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Luis Buñuel movies on TCM tonight (photo: Catherine Deneuve in 'Belle de Jour') The city of Paris and iconoclastic writer-director Luis Buñuel are Turner Classic Movies' themes today and later this evening. TCM's focus on Luis Buñuel is particularly welcome, as he remains one of the most daring and most challenging filmmakers since the invention of film. Luis Buñuel is so remarkable, in fact, that you won't find any Hollywood hipster paying homage to him in his/her movies. Nor will you hear his name mentioned at the Academy Awards – no matter the Academy in question. And rest assured that most film critics working today have never even heard of him, let alone seen any of his movies. So, nowadays Luis Buñuel is un-hip, un-cool, and unfashionable. He's also unquestionably brilliant. These days everyone is worried about freedom of expression. The clash of civilizations. The West vs. The Other.
- 1/27/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Happy Birthday, Cyd Charisse Charisse began starring in films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly her films include Singin' in the Rain 1952, The Band Wagon 1953, Brigadoon 1954 and Silk Stockings 1957. She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.
- 3/8/2014
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today in 1955, Silk Stockings opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances. Silk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story Ninotchka and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.
- 2/24/2014
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
While some are leaving cookies and milk out for Santa Claus to imbibe come Christmas morning, the rest of us are leaving DVDs out for Santa to catch up on, since he must be pretty busy up at the North Pole, where Internet signals make streaming a hassle. Here are just a few of the titles that we've given the jolly guy over the years, from the Oscar winners to the cult classics to the unwatchable stinkers. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. A Visit From Saint Nicolas Cage 'Twas the Talladega Night before Christmas, when All That Jazz through the House II: The Second Story Not a Creature From the Black Lagoon was stirring, not even a Great Mouse Detective; The Silk Stockings were hung by the chimney with Daddy Day Care, In Hope Floats that St. Nicolas Cage soon would...
- 12/23/2013
- cinemablend.com
Arthouse Convergence responds to the Netflix speech given today by Ted Sarandos. Thank you Jessica Rosner for giving this to us. Jessica says"
"I posted this the last time this issue [of new media for movies] came up, but I can't resist posting it again as we can all probably use a laugh. Dennis [Doros] is right, theaters, distributors and movie makers have been fighting 'competition' from other ways of viewing since the beginning. Here is a wonderful clip from the height of studio's fears about the competition from TV and what they were doing to make the theatrical experience special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0kHKijb8jI
P.S. In order to Really experience this, you should consider contacting WB to book Silk Stockings an uneven but still wonderful musical which not only includes the above but Peter Lorre dancing and singing and other great bits. You can double bill it with Ninotchka."
Arthouse Convergence Director, Russ Collins < rcollins [At] michtheater.org> wrote:
Why Theatrical?
1) Aesthetic mandate -- for the film to have its full impact or be fully appreciated it must be perfectly presented on a Big screen in a beautiful darkened room full of strangers full of artistic anticipation and cultural curiosity – the Art demands it. It is also why we go hear live music concerts, live stage and dance performances at theaters and actual paintings, sculptures and other visual art works in museums and galleries and have real art, not reproductions, hanging in our own homes. Art authenticity is a virtue!
2) Marketing godsend -- reasonable success in theatrical exhibition is the most reliable (but not absolutely necessary) way for a movie to achieve success in all other release platforms. Increasing your odds of maximizing profits is a good thing!
3) Fulfilling the primordial Campfire Desire -- fulfilling the human urge to experience a story in community, in the dark; stories masterfully told by flickering light. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell would have loved this reason!
And Now The Long Boring Essay
Ted Sarandos of Netflix suggested theater owners are strangling innovation. Please know he may be is talking about large corporate theater owners, he is certainly not talking about the Indie theater owners. Frequently pundits like Sarandos promote a general assumption that theatrical exhibition is somehow out-of-step and needs to be reinvented. Although this has been a constant drum beat in the film business for decades, I don’t think it is true or that it is particularly supported by data. If theatrical exhibition needs to be reinvented it is very old news which was actually needed way back in the 1950s when television took the theatrical exhibition market from 4 billion admissions annually to 1 billion admission annually. In response to this 75% decline in business, theatrical exhibition was indeed reinvented in the 1960s and 1970s. What happened was the demise of single screen theaters and the rise of multiplex cinema. However, in regards to independent exhibition, it has been rather consistent since the beginning of theatrical exhibition in the 19-teens. There has always been and continues to be independent exhibitors who operate along-side the corporate commercial exhibitors – some are successful and many struggle – another consisted fact of independent exhibition.
So please know that I believe the basic dynamics of theatrical exhibition is not in want of reinvention, but rather has been a variation on the same four themes since the 1970s. Those four themes are: 1) Multiple screen theaters carry the bulk of the business; 2) Dynamic new video/digital/online technologies are expected by pundits to soon kill or radically change theatrical exhibition (but they never do – in fact since the mid-1960s, new movie watching technologies have not significantly altered theatrical attendance); 3) Independent theaters struggle against the monopolistic business practices of corporate exhibition and distribution; 4) Two lies are so frequently repeated about theatrical exhibition business that they are assumed to be true: One – Theatrical exhibition will soon be killed by new technological advances and more personal ways to see films; Two – All the profit in theatrical exhibition come from the sale of concessions.
However, I also believe that responding to change is essential for any business to remain viable. Every business needs to remain fresh and innovative in its approach to business, because change is the only constant in the universe. So, people who run theatrical exhibition businesses must be creative and open to change and opportunity as they run their businesses. Change being constant means every business is in a constant state or being reimaged and/or reinvented, however, I don’t think that was the intended theme of this panel. I expect it was the tired old notion that new technologies will significantly impair or change the core nature of theatrical exhibition.
Theatrical exhibition is still a great way for a film to establish a market. Stories told in the space of about two hours are still relevant. Independent theatrical exhibition is built on “curators” (gate keepers) and the “wisdom of crowds” seated in a darken room full of strangers. This is a proven and highly effective way to discover the brightest, most relevant and/or best of contemporary cinema. It is not the only way for a film or film artists to find a market, however, it still a good and effective way – and maybe, just maybe, The most effective way for movies to find a lasting place in markets and in human history. Time will tell, but that is why theatrical exhibition survived the killing onslaught of television in the 1940s and 1950s and why no other home/private viewing technology or distribution dynamic has significantly effected theatrical exhibition. Television (programs specially made for viewing at home and/or on an electronic device not at a theater) is a different but related market and market dynamic. Today, it is the home television – network/cable/streaming/etc. – where there real reinvention is happening in terms of media arts markets and storytelling. Will Netflix rule? Will television networks survive? Will cable television be relevant twenty years from now? Who knows?? However, what I know for sure is that twenty years from now – one hundred years from now – there will be passionate and struggling independent theatrical exhibitors out there in cities large and small showing movies by classic, great and up and coming filmmakers to cinephiles in their community in uncountable places throughout the world.
From Russ Collins CEO, MichiganTheater - AnnArbor Director, Art House Convergence Founder, Cinetopia Festival
Theater Owners 'Might Kill Movies', Warns Netflix's Sarandos
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/theater-owners-might-kill-movies-warns-netflixs-sarandos-120076...
art-house-convergence+unsubscribe [At] googlegroups.com . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups...
"I posted this the last time this issue [of new media for movies] came up, but I can't resist posting it again as we can all probably use a laugh. Dennis [Doros] is right, theaters, distributors and movie makers have been fighting 'competition' from other ways of viewing since the beginning. Here is a wonderful clip from the height of studio's fears about the competition from TV and what they were doing to make the theatrical experience special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0kHKijb8jI
P.S. In order to Really experience this, you should consider contacting WB to book Silk Stockings an uneven but still wonderful musical which not only includes the above but Peter Lorre dancing and singing and other great bits. You can double bill it with Ninotchka."
Arthouse Convergence Director, Russ Collins < rcollins [At] michtheater.org> wrote:
Why Theatrical?
1) Aesthetic mandate -- for the film to have its full impact or be fully appreciated it must be perfectly presented on a Big screen in a beautiful darkened room full of strangers full of artistic anticipation and cultural curiosity – the Art demands it. It is also why we go hear live music concerts, live stage and dance performances at theaters and actual paintings, sculptures and other visual art works in museums and galleries and have real art, not reproductions, hanging in our own homes. Art authenticity is a virtue!
2) Marketing godsend -- reasonable success in theatrical exhibition is the most reliable (but not absolutely necessary) way for a movie to achieve success in all other release platforms. Increasing your odds of maximizing profits is a good thing!
3) Fulfilling the primordial Campfire Desire -- fulfilling the human urge to experience a story in community, in the dark; stories masterfully told by flickering light. Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell would have loved this reason!
And Now The Long Boring Essay
Ted Sarandos of Netflix suggested theater owners are strangling innovation. Please know he may be is talking about large corporate theater owners, he is certainly not talking about the Indie theater owners. Frequently pundits like Sarandos promote a general assumption that theatrical exhibition is somehow out-of-step and needs to be reinvented. Although this has been a constant drum beat in the film business for decades, I don’t think it is true or that it is particularly supported by data. If theatrical exhibition needs to be reinvented it is very old news which was actually needed way back in the 1950s when television took the theatrical exhibition market from 4 billion admissions annually to 1 billion admission annually. In response to this 75% decline in business, theatrical exhibition was indeed reinvented in the 1960s and 1970s. What happened was the demise of single screen theaters and the rise of multiplex cinema. However, in regards to independent exhibition, it has been rather consistent since the beginning of theatrical exhibition in the 19-teens. There has always been and continues to be independent exhibitors who operate along-side the corporate commercial exhibitors – some are successful and many struggle – another consisted fact of independent exhibition.
So please know that I believe the basic dynamics of theatrical exhibition is not in want of reinvention, but rather has been a variation on the same four themes since the 1970s. Those four themes are: 1) Multiple screen theaters carry the bulk of the business; 2) Dynamic new video/digital/online technologies are expected by pundits to soon kill or radically change theatrical exhibition (but they never do – in fact since the mid-1960s, new movie watching technologies have not significantly altered theatrical attendance); 3) Independent theaters struggle against the monopolistic business practices of corporate exhibition and distribution; 4) Two lies are so frequently repeated about theatrical exhibition business that they are assumed to be true: One – Theatrical exhibition will soon be killed by new technological advances and more personal ways to see films; Two – All the profit in theatrical exhibition come from the sale of concessions.
However, I also believe that responding to change is essential for any business to remain viable. Every business needs to remain fresh and innovative in its approach to business, because change is the only constant in the universe. So, people who run theatrical exhibition businesses must be creative and open to change and opportunity as they run their businesses. Change being constant means every business is in a constant state or being reimaged and/or reinvented, however, I don’t think that was the intended theme of this panel. I expect it was the tired old notion that new technologies will significantly impair or change the core nature of theatrical exhibition.
Theatrical exhibition is still a great way for a film to establish a market. Stories told in the space of about two hours are still relevant. Independent theatrical exhibition is built on “curators” (gate keepers) and the “wisdom of crowds” seated in a darken room full of strangers. This is a proven and highly effective way to discover the brightest, most relevant and/or best of contemporary cinema. It is not the only way for a film or film artists to find a market, however, it still a good and effective way – and maybe, just maybe, The most effective way for movies to find a lasting place in markets and in human history. Time will tell, but that is why theatrical exhibition survived the killing onslaught of television in the 1940s and 1950s and why no other home/private viewing technology or distribution dynamic has significantly effected theatrical exhibition. Television (programs specially made for viewing at home and/or on an electronic device not at a theater) is a different but related market and market dynamic. Today, it is the home television – network/cable/streaming/etc. – where there real reinvention is happening in terms of media arts markets and storytelling. Will Netflix rule? Will television networks survive? Will cable television be relevant twenty years from now? Who knows?? However, what I know for sure is that twenty years from now – one hundred years from now – there will be passionate and struggling independent theatrical exhibitors out there in cities large and small showing movies by classic, great and up and coming filmmakers to cinephiles in their community in uncountable places throughout the world.
From Russ Collins CEO, MichiganTheater - AnnArbor Director, Art House Convergence Founder, Cinetopia Festival
Theater Owners 'Might Kill Movies', Warns Netflix's Sarandos
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/theater-owners-might-kill-movies-warns-netflixs-sarandos-120076...
art-house-convergence+unsubscribe [At] googlegroups.com . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups...
- 10/28/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The York Theatre Company has announced that it will conclude the Winter 2013 Musicals in Mufti Series with the 1955 musical Silk Stockings that has book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath and Abe Burrows, and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Directed by Stuart Ross, and with music direction by David Snyder, the production will feature Erin Davie, Ben Davis, Erick Devine, Erica Dorfler, David Garrison, Leah Hocking, Andrew Kluger, Mark Price, Kilty Reidy, Danny Rutigliano, Alet Taylor, and Stephen Wallem.
- 3/18/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Happy Birthday, Cyd Charisse Charisse began starring in films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly her films include Singin' in the Rain 1952, The Band Wagon 1953, Brigadoon 1954 and Silk Stockings 1957. She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.
- 3/8/2013
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today in 1955, Silk Stockings opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances. Silk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story Ninotchka and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.
- 2/24/2013
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
York Theatre Company James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director Andrew Levine, Executive Director has announced principal casting for the remaining three musicals in its Winter 2013 Musicals in Mufti Series Hollywood Pinafore March 1-3, 2013, Happy Hunting March 15-17, 2013, and Silk Stockings March 22-24, 2013 at York Theatre Company at its home in Saint Peter's Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue.
- 2/8/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The Accused: “Exposé,” an episode from the third season of Lost which focused entirely on the much-despised new characters Nikki and Paulo.
The Crimes: The first half of Lost’s third season incited a now-legendary storm of fan rage. The show had plenty of legitimate problems. Half of the characters were imprisoned, for reasons that were initially nebulous and then just stupid. The mysterious Others were suddenly characters, and they were almost uniformly boring. Mr. Eko got killed by a giant smoke fist. Bai Ling happened. ABC made the curious decision to split the show’s run, with six episodes...
The Crimes: The first half of Lost’s third season incited a now-legendary storm of fan rage. The show had plenty of legitimate problems. Half of the characters were imprisoned, for reasons that were initially nebulous and then just stupid. The mysterious Others were suddenly characters, and they were almost uniformly boring. Mr. Eko got killed by a giant smoke fist. Bai Ling happened. ABC made the curious decision to split the show’s run, with six episodes...
- 1/16/2013
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
Today in 1985, Broadway book writer Abe Burrows passed away. Burrows wrote or directed such shows as Make a Wish, Two on the Aisle, Three Wishes for Jamie, Say, Darling, Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cactus Flower, Four on a Garden, Can-Can, Silk Stockings, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Good News 1974 revival, and many others. With his collaborator Frank Loesser, Burrows won a Pulitzer Prize for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
- 5/17/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
How best to celebrate the arrival of the fifth month, PopWatchers? Lacking a May pole in EW’s office, I decided to turn to pop culture. Though I considered expanding the net to include non-traditional picks like bunkin’ cousin Maeby Fünke from Arrested Development and Ghost’s Oda Mae Brown (“Molly, you in danger, girl!”), there was plenty of May love to go around without getting Fünke with it. Below, five of my favorite May touchstones.
“The Lusty Month of May,” Camelot
If this number from Lerner and Loewe’s hit 1960 musical doesn’t, ahem, get you in the mood for a new month,...
“The Lusty Month of May,” Camelot
If this number from Lerner and Loewe’s hit 1960 musical doesn’t, ahem, get you in the mood for a new month,...
- 5/1/2012
- by Lanford Beard
- EW.com - PopWatch
Happy Birthday, Cyd Charisse Charisse began starring in films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly her films include Singin' in the Rain 1952, The Band Wagon 1953, Brigadoon 1954 and Silk Stockings 1957. She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.
- 3/8/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Every year since 2000, the Jeonju International Film Festival has commissioned three short works for its Jeonju Digital Project and, about a month ago now, the festival announced it'd selected Raya Martin, Vimukthi Jayasundara and Ying Liang for this year's edition (you may remember the three directors' video messages). The 2011 films are still making the rounds, and in fact, when they screen tomorrow at Exit Art, two of them — Claire Denis's To the Devil and José Luis Guerín's Memories of a Morning, both 45 minutes — will be seeing their NYC premieres. The third is Jean-Marie Straub's An Heir (22 mins, image above). If you're planning on being there, you'll want to read Robert Koehler's dispatch from Locarno last summer, touching briefly on the Denis and Guerín films but really digging into the Straub.
Reading. "With the main focus on African and Asian cinema and documentary film, Camera Lucida no 7 also...
Reading. "With the main focus on African and Asian cinema and documentary film, Camera Lucida no 7 also...
- 2/28/2012
- MUBI
Today in 1955, Silk Stockings opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 478 performances. Silk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story Ninotchka and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.
- 2/24/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Zoe’s continues her journey through the turbulent history of one of Hollywood’s most influential studios, as we arrive at MGM's post-war golden era. Plus, a bit of 3D, too...
As the end of World War II approached, a new world dawned for MGM – a world which had changed dramatically. Attitudes and lifestyles had changed, but most importantly audiences had changed. Here was an opportunity: MGM’s chance to start afresh. And so in 1944, MGM embarked on what would become the most successful period in its history. After the war, the slate was wiped clean.
Gone were the tired, tried-and-tested formulas, and gone were the aging names and stars, as a new unit was established at MGM. It was up to this unit, anchored by an experienced producer and made up of bright young talent, to transform MGM’s signature high-production style into something new and modern in order...
As the end of World War II approached, a new world dawned for MGM – a world which had changed dramatically. Attitudes and lifestyles had changed, but most importantly audiences had changed. Here was an opportunity: MGM’s chance to start afresh. And so in 1944, MGM embarked on what would become the most successful period in its history. After the war, the slate was wiped clean.
Gone were the tired, tried-and-tested formulas, and gone were the aging names and stars, as a new unit was established at MGM. It was up to this unit, anchored by an experienced producer and made up of bright young talent, to transform MGM’s signature high-production style into something new and modern in order...
- 1/24/2012
- Den of Geek
MGM meant musicals for more than a decade after the second world war. David Thomson looks at a time when a little cheer at the movies was appreciated – and wonders if the same couldn't be said now
There had been musicals before. In the 1930s, as soon as sound permitted, Warner Brothers developed what we call the Busby Berkeley pictures: they were black and white, and often aware of the harsh Depression times, but a choreographic lather of girls and fluid, orgasmic forms where the camera was itching to plunge into the centre of the "big O" – think of Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933 or 42nd Street. They had aerial shots of waves and whirlpools of chorus girls, opening and closing their legs in time with our desire. A few years later, at Rko Pictures, the Astaire-Rogers films came into being – where the gravity, beauty, and exhilaration of the...
There had been musicals before. In the 1930s, as soon as sound permitted, Warner Brothers developed what we call the Busby Berkeley pictures: they were black and white, and often aware of the harsh Depression times, but a choreographic lather of girls and fluid, orgasmic forms where the camera was itching to plunge into the centre of the "big O" – think of Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933 or 42nd Street. They had aerial shots of waves and whirlpools of chorus girls, opening and closing their legs in time with our desire. A few years later, at Rko Pictures, the Astaire-Rogers films came into being – where the gravity, beauty, and exhilaration of the...
- 11/11/2011
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
To tie in with the essential Complete Vincente Minnelli series running all this month at Bam, I started looking at Minnelli posters with the hope of finding something interesting. Surely the most stylish of Hollywood auteurs would have bounteous posters to match his visual élan and dazzling color palette. However, with the exception of the iconic Gigi poster, an oddity like The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or the two striking 1970 designs for On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, most of his posters are fairly conventional illustrations on the order of The Pirate.
One poster that caught my eye though was this alternative poster for Designing Woman (1957) (the better known version is this). A photographed 3-dimensional montage made out of cut up paper, cloth and other objects, the collage is the work of Romanian emigré Jacques Kapralik (1906-1960). A talented caricaturist who drew cartoons for newspapers in Bucharest while still a teenager,...
One poster that caught my eye though was this alternative poster for Designing Woman (1957) (the better known version is this). A photographed 3-dimensional montage made out of cut up paper, cloth and other objects, the collage is the work of Romanian emigré Jacques Kapralik (1906-1960). A talented caricaturist who drew cartoons for newspapers in Bucharest while still a teenager,...
- 10/14/2011
- MUBI
Melissa Reeves is considered by many to be one of the nicest and most down-to-earth actresses working in daytime today. After a four-year absence, she is now back as Jennifer Rose Horton Deveraux and about to find herself in a whole lot of trouble in Salem. But how did this aspiring dancer from New Jersey end up moving to Los Angeles, Nashville, and back again? And what does she think about the stories that she has played out on screen and off camera for the past 26 years? Please join us for this very special multi-part interview to learn more about the actress, the rebel, the mother, the survivor.
We Love Soaps TV: Melissa, it is wonderful to speak with you. You grew up about an hour outside of New York City?
Melissa Reeves: Yes, I grew up in Red Bank, New Jersey. When I was about 13 years old I...
We Love Soaps TV: Melissa, it is wonderful to speak with you. You grew up about an hour outside of New York City?
Melissa Reeves: Yes, I grew up in Red Bank, New Jersey. When I was about 13 years old I...
- 1/24/2011
- by Damon L. Jacobs
- We Love Soaps
Beloved actress/dancer Cyd Charisse has died in a Los Angeles hospital.
The 86-year-old reportedly suffered a heart attack on Monday and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she died on Tuesday.
Born Tula Ellice Finklea in Texas in 1921, Charisse studied ballet in Los Angeles and performed as Siderova in the Ballet Russes up until World War II, when she returned to California to embark on a movie career.
She became a staple in movie musicals throughout the 1940s and 1950s, appearing alongside Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in films like Ziegfeld Follies, The Band Wagon, Silk Stockings and Brigadoon.
She retired from dancing in the late 1950s to become a straight actress.
Charisse took her surname from her first husband Nico Charisse, who she wed in 1939. She was married to singer Tony Martin for 60 years up until her death.
The actress/dancer was presented with America's highest artistic honour, the National Medal of the Arts + Humanities, by President George W. Bush in 2006.
The 86-year-old reportedly suffered a heart attack on Monday and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she died on Tuesday.
Born Tula Ellice Finklea in Texas in 1921, Charisse studied ballet in Los Angeles and performed as Siderova in the Ballet Russes up until World War II, when she returned to California to embark on a movie career.
She became a staple in movie musicals throughout the 1940s and 1950s, appearing alongside Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in films like Ziegfeld Follies, The Band Wagon, Silk Stockings and Brigadoon.
She retired from dancing in the late 1950s to become a straight actress.
Charisse took her surname from her first husband Nico Charisse, who she wed in 1939. She was married to singer Tony Martin for 60 years up until her death.
The actress/dancer was presented with America's highest artistic honour, the National Medal of the Arts + Humanities, by President George W. Bush in 2006.
- 6/18/2008
- WENN
Cyd Charisse, the dancer and actress who appeared in such film musicals as Singin' in the Rain, The Band Wagon, and Silk Stockings, died Tuesday in Los Angeles after suffering an apparent heart attack; she was 86. Born Tula Ellice Finklea in Texas, the young dancer was classically trained in Los Angeles and at 14 became part of the Ballet Russe, traveling through the US and Europe and performing under the names "Celia Siderova" and "Maria Istromena." She married the dancer Nico Charisse in Paris in 1939 and had a son, Nicky, in 1942. When the Ballet Russe disbanded at the beginning of World War II, Charisse returned to Hollywood and became the resident ballet star at MGM, just as the studio was beginning its run of sumptuous Technicolor musicals. She signed a seven-year contract with the studio, was given the exotic first name "Cyd," and was seen as a featured dancer in numerous films such as Ziegfeld Follies, where she performed with Fred Astaire. She also divorced and later married singer Tony Martin in 1948, with whom she had a second son. Her breakthrough came in the 1952 classic Singin' in the Rain when she was paired with Gene Kelly in the climactic "Broadway Melody" number near the end of the film. Throughout the 1950s she starred in a number of other classic musicals: with Kelly again in Brigadoon and It's Always Fair Weather and with Astaire in The Band Wagon in Silk Stockings. As the big-screen Hollywood musical began to wane in popularity, Charisse switched to dramatic films, and also appeared in numerous television shows. In 1992 she made her Broadway debut in the stage version of Grand Hotel, and made an appearance in Janet Jackson's 1990 video "Alright." She is survived by her husband and two sons.
- 6/17/2008
- by IMDb Staff
- IMDb News
Cyd Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday. She was 86.
Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.
It was her uncredited turn opposite Astaire in "Ziegfeld Follies" in 1946 that won her a seven-year contract with MGM. Her moves with Astaire in Vincent Minnelli's "Band Wagon" were often described as "heavenly."
One of the greatest female dancers in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, she starred in such big-screen extravaganzas as "Brigadoon" (1954) and as a young Vicki Carr in "The Silencers" (1966). While she strutted her considerable stuff on the screen, her singing was invariably dubbed.
Though she didn't often spend much time on the screen, her scenes made dramatic impact. Outfitted in the most splendid costumes, she wowed...
Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.
It was her uncredited turn opposite Astaire in "Ziegfeld Follies" in 1946 that won her a seven-year contract with MGM. Her moves with Astaire in Vincent Minnelli's "Band Wagon" were often described as "heavenly."
One of the greatest female dancers in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, she starred in such big-screen extravaganzas as "Brigadoon" (1954) and as a young Vicki Carr in "The Silencers" (1966). While she strutted her considerable stuff on the screen, her singing was invariably dubbed.
Though she didn't often spend much time on the screen, her scenes made dramatic impact. Outfitted in the most splendid costumes, she wowed...
- 6/17/2008
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cyd Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday. She was 86.
Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.
It was her uncredited turn opposite Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies in 1946 that won her a seven-year contract with MGM. Her moves with Astaire in Vincent Minnelli's Band Wagon were often described as "heavenly."
One of the greatest female dancers in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, she starred in such big-screen extravaganzas as Brigadoon (1954) and as a young Vicki Carr in The Silencers (1966). While she strutted her considerable stuff on the screen, her singing was invariably dubbed.
Though she didn't often spend much time on the screen, her scenes made dramatic impact. Outfitted in the most splendid costumes, she wowed audiences with her dance moves in such 1940s entertainments as The Harvey Girls, Three Wise Fools, Till the Clouds Roll By, Fiesta, The Unfinished Dance, Words and Music and The Kissing Bandit. Her final dancing turns were in the '50s in such films as Brigadoon, It's Always Fair Weather, Invitation to the Dance and Silk Stockings, a musical remake of Ninotchka that reteamed her with Astaire.
Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.
It was her uncredited turn opposite Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies in 1946 that won her a seven-year contract with MGM. Her moves with Astaire in Vincent Minnelli's Band Wagon were often described as "heavenly."
One of the greatest female dancers in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, she starred in such big-screen extravaganzas as Brigadoon (1954) and as a young Vicki Carr in The Silencers (1966). While she strutted her considerable stuff on the screen, her singing was invariably dubbed.
Though she didn't often spend much time on the screen, her scenes made dramatic impact. Outfitted in the most splendid costumes, she wowed audiences with her dance moves in such 1940s entertainments as The Harvey Girls, Three Wise Fools, Till the Clouds Roll By, Fiesta, The Unfinished Dance, Words and Music and The Kissing Bandit. Her final dancing turns were in the '50s in such films as Brigadoon, It's Always Fair Weather, Invitation to the Dance and Silk Stockings, a musical remake of Ninotchka that reteamed her with Astaire.
- 6/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Movie dancer Cyd Charisse – whose elegant legwork wooed Fred Astaire in such classic '50s musicals as The Band Wagon and Silk Stockings and Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain and Brigadoon – died early Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering an apparent heart attack, says her rep. She was 86. The resident MGM ballet dancer at the height of Hollywood's golden era of musicals had danced in the Ballet Russes before landing at the studio – though for all the glamour she exuded, Charisse, who was adored by her coworkers, was often referred to by her real name, Tula Finklea, from Amarillo Texas.
- 6/17/2008
- PEOPLE.com
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