Tribute: Tony Curtis

Posted on September 30, 2010 at 8:15 am

Today we mourn the passing of one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men, Tony Curtis. He was born Bernie Schwartz to a very poor and troubled family in the Bronx and became determined to make it as a movie star. He may be best remembered for starring in the film the American Film Institute placed at the top of their list of the funniest movies of all time: “Some Like it Hot.” But he left behind an extraordinary body of work that included classic drama (“Spartacus” and “The Sweet Smell of Success”) and historical figures (“Houdini” with then-wife Janet Leigh, “The Great Impostor,” and “The Boston Strangler”) as well as a range of light comedies and romances with names like “Boeing Boeing” and “Not With My Wife You Don’t.” He appeared with his idol, Cary Grant, in Grant’s top-grossing film, “Operation Petticoat,” with Burt Lancaster in “Trapeze”and more and with Gregory Peck in one of my favorites, “Captain Newman, M.D.” And with his “Some Like It Hot” co-star Jack Lemmon he made a film on my all-time top family movie list, “The Great Race.” The family legacy continues with his daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, who appears in last week’s release, “You Again.”

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Actors Movie Mom’s Top Picks for Families Tribute

Tribute: Arthur Penn

Posted on September 29, 2010 at 2:49 pm

Arthur Penn, director of hugely influential films that helped bring a new naturalism to movies, died today at age 88. “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Alice’s Restaurant,” both based on true stories, were very different in look and genre but both had a refreshing sensitivity to the way people talk to each other.

And in this scene from “The Miracle Worker,” watch how Penn makes this classic moment seem intimate, fresh, and very real.

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Directors Tribute
Tribute: Harvey Pekar

Tribute: Harvey Pekar

Posted on July 12, 2010 at 3:25 pm

Harvey Pekar died today at age 70. He was a writer best known as the subject of a superb biographical film, “American Splendor.”

Pekar was an exceptional man who struggled with challenges that made it difficult for him to get along with people. But he managed to turn those struggles into art, working with comic artists to create biographical graphic novels that were filled with tragicomic takes on life’s difficulties, from standing in line at the grocery store behind someone who is taking forever to coping with cancer. The same unfiltered quality that made him unable to manage social pleasantries gave his stories a candor and directness that turned his daily life into poetry and his bleakest moments into inspiration for his readers.

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Tribute: Dennis Hopper

Tribute: Dennis Hopper

Posted on May 29, 2010 at 4:16 pm

Actor/director/emblem of a generation Dennis Hopper died today at age 74 after a career of extraordinary range that took him from roles in the iconic films Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, Giant, and Apocalypse Now, to a stunning comeback as one of film history’s most disturbing villains in Blue Velvet and an American Enterprise commercial for baby boomers contemplating retirement.

My his rest be peaceful and may his memory be a blessing.

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Actors Tribute

Tribute: Gary Coleman

Posted on May 28, 2010 at 3:11 pm

Gary Coleman died today from head injuries. He was 42.

At one time one of television’s most popular performers, Coleman struggled to find a place for himself after “Diff’rent Strokes” left the air. The show was about a wealthy single white father of a young girl who became the guardian for two black children. Coleman, who looked much younger than his real age due to kidney disease and its treatment, captivated audiences with his smart aleck-y bravado. The show was controversial for its patronizing portrayal of race and class differences but was a mainstream success and was selected by then-first lady Nancy Reagan for an appearance on behalf of her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign, one of several “very special” episodes.

After the show ended, all three of the young stars had difficulties. Todd Bridges and Dana Plato both developed drug problems. Plato died of a drug overdose and her son recently committed suicide. Coleman sued his parents for taking the money he had earned. He had difficulty finding work. He filed for bankruptcy and was charged with assault.

May he find peace at last, and may his memory be a blessing.

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Television Tribute
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