Author: Laura Grieve
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Doris Day: The Romantic Sweetheart
One of our greatest stars, Doris Day, recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Day made a rare public appearance for the occasion, delighting not only fans present to see her in person, but those of us who were happy to see smiling new photos of the beloved singer-actress. Day was the biggest female box office star in history, but she's has been off the screen for four decades, At this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, TCM staffers shared that Doris is Number One on their wish-list...
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Victor Mature: An Epic Life
There's an oft-repeated anecdote about Victor Mature, whose application for membership in a fancy country club was turned down because he was a member of the lowly acting profession. Mature is reported to have said something along the lines of 'I'm no actor, and I've got the films to prove it!' Whether apocryphal or not, the quote embodies Mature's lighthearted approach to his life and career, and it also belies the fact that he was, in fact, a hardworking man and a very fine act...
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George Montgomery: Actor, Artist, Renaissance Man
George Montgomery is perhaps best remembered today as a '50s Western star, but he could truly do it all. His career progressed from stuntman and bit player to actor and then on to a new creative field, becoming a highly respected artist and craftsman. Montgomery was born August 27, 1916, in Brady, Montana. One of a large family, he grew up as a rancher's son, gaining the riding skills which would help him get a toehold in Hollywood as a stuntman and later stand him in good stead ...
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The Girl Next Door: Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Crain was the quintessential girl next door, a teenager who became a star overnight and went on to a long and successful career while also parenting a large family off the screen. Crain was born in the California desert town of Barstow on May 25, 1925. Her family later moved to Los Angeles, where legend has it she was spotted by Orson Welles while she was on an RKO studio tour. He had her tested for The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)...
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Joan Fontaine: Elegy for an Oscar Winner
I began writing this article on Joan Fontaine before her death in December 2013 at the age of 96. With her recent passing, I'm especially glad to have this opportunity to pay tribute to a remarkable actress. Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Havilland on October 22, 1917, in Tokyo, Japan. When Joan first entered the film business, the name de Havilland was already 'taken' by Joan's older sister, Olivia de Havilland. Particularly given ...
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Here Comes Mr. Montgomery
Robert Montgomery was a multi-talented actor-director and two-time Oscar nominee, and yet for some years he was probably best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Montgomery, the delightful star of the classic TV series Bewitched. As Montgomery's films have become much more available in recent years, thanks to DVDs and Turner Classic Movies, he is today enjoying a resurgence of popularity with classic film fans. Montgomery was born on May 2...
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Loretta Young: From Naughty to Nice
Last year the centennial of actress Loretta Young was celebrated with an exhibit at the Hollywood Museum, a ceremony at the Palm Springs Historical Society, and the rededication of Young's namesake memorial chapel at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Young's longtime home. Young was also the Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies. These were all most deserved honors for an Oscar-winning actress and television pioneer. Young...
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Joel McCrea: Life Imitates Westerns
Joel McCrea is the quintessential California story, a remarkable life which included a childhood stint delivering the L.A. Times to movie industry names such as Cecil B. DeMille, attending the University of Southern California and Pomona College, decades in a highly successful career in the film business, and simultaneously working at the beloved job he listed as his occupation on his tax returns, rancher. Joel was born in Pasadena on November 5, 1905. Growing up in Los Angeles, h...
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Linda Darnell: Hollywood Beauty
Linda Darnell is best remembered as one of the most beautiful women to grace the movies in the '40s and '50s, yet a closer look at her career suggests she was much more than that. The underrated Darnell was talented as both a dramatic actress and a comedienne, and her list of credits is one any actress would envy. Darnell starred in every kind of movie, including film noir, Westerns, swashbucklers, comedies, musicals, and dramas; some of her films are among the very finest titles in American c...
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