Tribute: Betty Garrett

Posted on February 17, 2011 at 8:00 am

The talented musical comedy star Betty Garrett died this week at the age of 91. She was known for playing brassy, warm-hearted but outspoken roles in musicals like On the Town and My Sister Eileen. She was on television with recurring roles in “Laverne and Shirley” and “All in the Family.” She won me over forever when I happened on her first film appearance in a sweet film 1948 film with Margaret O’Brien called “Big City.” She plays a dancer named Shoo-Shoo who does a nonsense musical number called “Okle Baby Dokle.” In “Neptune’s Daughter,” she helped to introduce “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”

I was lucky enough to see her one-woman autobiographical live show, “Betty Garrett and Other Songs,” one of the most purely enjoyable evenings I have ever spent in a theater.

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Actors Tribute

Who’s the Fairest of Them All? Snow White vs. Snow White

Posted on February 15, 2011 at 3:53 pm

“Snow White” has appeared on screen many times, perhaps most memorably in the very first feature-length animated film. I’m also fond of the “Faerie Tale Theatre” version starring Elizabeth McGovern.
Two new high profile Snow White projects are in the works. Julia Roberts has been signed to play the wicked queen in a film directed by Tarsem Singh, the man behind the visually sumptuous (if narratively less than coherent) “The Fall.” And “Twilight’s” Kristen Stewart is reportedly playing Snow White opposite Viggo Mortensen in “Snow White and the Huntsman,” with Charlize Theron as the Queen.
Which queen, which Snow White — and which movie — will be the fairest of them all?

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Actors Behind the Scenes

List: A Tribute to Ronald Reagan

Posted on February 6, 2011 at 8:00 am

As we celebrate the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan this week, most of the focus will be on his years in politics. But it is also a good opportunity to take another look at some of his best performances as an actor as well. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Knute Rockne All American This classic story of one of the all-time great college football coaches features Reagan as George Gipp, the player whose death inspired the team to victory.

2. Bedtime for Bonzo Reagan often joked about this film, but it is actually a very cute comedy about a nature/nurture experiment with a chimp raised as a human. Co-star Diana Lynn shines as the love interest.

3. Kings Row The President’s favorite of his films, this is generally considered to be his best performance. It is the story of a small town with a lot of hidden struggles and ugly secrets. Reagan played a optimistic, caring young man who must face a cruel and tragic loss.

4. Hellcats of the Navy It isn’t much of a movie, but this WWII submarine drama is worth watching for another reason — it’s the only film to co-star the future president and his future wife. Then called Nancy Davis, the First Lady appears as the nurse who decides he is her “Mr. Right.”

5. “The Voice of the Turtle” A solider on leave falls for a girl who has not been lucky in love in this romantic comedy based on a hit Broadway play.

And for those who want to know more about his career after Hollywood:

The New Superman: Henry Cavill

Posted on February 3, 2011 at 3:53 pm

English actor Henry Cavill has been cast as Superman in the new movie to be directed by Zack Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen”). This is fourth-time lucky for Cavill, as he reportedly was an almost-choice for Edward in “Twilight,” James Bond, Batman and even the most recent Superman movie. Viewers may know him as Charles Brandon in television’s “The Tudors.”

Superman was the creation of then-teenagers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. He first appeared in Action Comics #1. Look in your attic and see if you can find a copy — in excellent condition, it’s worth at least one million dollars.

He is probably the most popular comic book character of all time and one of the most recognizable characters in the world. Superman has appeared on radio, television, and movies. Cavill’s predecessors in that role include George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, and Brandon Routh.

Any suggestions for Lois, Jimmy, Perry White, Lex Luthor, and Ma and Pa Kent? Which is your favorite version of Superman?

Who Has Died Most Often On Screen? (Spoiler Alert!)

Posted on January 7, 2011 at 8:00 am

It’s a big moment in any movie when one of the main characters dies, whether in battle, by accident, foul play, or natural causes. The nice people at the information site ChaCha have done the math and figured out which actors have died most often in movies. They also point out some interesting patterns and coincidences — De Niro was killed by Pacino in “Heat” and then Pacino was then killed by De Niro in “Righteous Kill” and Bruce Willis had two movie deaths at the hand of his then-wife, Demi Moore.