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Edwin H. Knopf
Edwin H. Knopf (November 11, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American film producer, film director, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in New York City and went to work early in his life in the editorial department of his brother Alfred A. Knopf's publishing business. Ephraim Katz, ''The Film Encyclopedia'', First Edition (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1979) After trying his hand at acting, Edwin turned to producing in 1928. Soon after being involved in several hit plays, he moved to Hollywood and found work as a director and screenwriter. Among his films as a director was ''Paramount on Parade'' (1930). As a producer, he was involved in the making of such films as '' B.F.'s Daughter'' (1948), '' Malaya'' (1949), '' The Law and the Lady'' (producer and director, 1951), ''Lili'' (1953), and '' The Glass Slipper'' (1955). Sketches of Edwin's early life in Italy are included in the book he wrote with his wife Mildred O. Knopf, ''The Food of Italy and How To Prepare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lana Turner
Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. In the mid-1940s, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States, and one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's (MGM) biggest stars, with her films earning more than $50 million for the studio during her 18-year contract with them. Turner is frequently cited as a popular culture icon of Hollywood glamour and a screen legend of classical Hollywood cinema. Born to working-class parents in northern Idaho, Turner spent her childhood there before her family relocated to San Francisco. In 1936, when Turner was 15, she was discovered while purchasing a soda at the Top Hat Malt Shop in Hollywood. At 16, she was signed to a personal contract by Warner Bros. director Mervyn LeRoy, who took her with him when he transferred to MGM in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Seventh Cross (film)
''The Seventh Cross'' is a 1944 American drama film, set in Nazi Germany, starring Spencer Tracy as a prisoner who escaped from a concentration camp. The story chronicles how he interacts with ordinary Germans, and gradually sheds his cynical view of humanity. The film co-starred Hume Cronyn, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It was the first film in which Cronyn appeared with his wife Jessica Tandy, and was among the first feature films directed by Fred Zinnemann; it was his first hit movie. The movie was adapted from the 1942 novel of the same name by the German refugee writer Anna Seghers. Produced in the midst of the Second World War, it was one of the few films made during the war to deal with the existence of Nazi concentration camps. Plot In 1936 in Germany, seven prisoners escape from the fictitious Westhofen concentration camp (partly based on the real Osthofen concentration camp) near the Rhine. The escapees are: a writer, a circus performer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diane (1956 Film)
''Diane'' is a 1956 American historical drama film about the life of Diane de Poitiers, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by David Miller, and produced by Edwin H. Knopf from a screenplay by Christopher Isherwood based on a story by John Erskine. The music score was composed by Miklós Rózsa, and Robert H. Planck was the cinematographer, who filmed in CinemaScope and Eastmancolor. The exceptionally lavish costumes were designed by Walter Plunkett. The film stars Lana Turner, Pedro Armendáriz, Roger Moore, and Marisa Pavan, and features Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Torin Thatcher, Taina Elg, John Lupton, Henry Daniell, Melville Cooper and an early film appearance by Stuart Whitman. It was Turner's last film under her longtime MGM contract and thus marked another stage in the decline of the studio star system. Plot The action is set in 16th-century France. Diane de Poitiers (Lana Turner) becomes the mistress of Prince Henri (Roger Moore), second in line to the throne. Thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The King's Thief
''The King's Thief'' is a 1955 swashbuckling CinemaScope adventure film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who replaced Hugo Fregonese during filming. Released on August 5, 1955, the film takes place in London at the time of Charles II and stars Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, David Niven, George Sanders and Roger Moore. Plot James (Niven), the Duke of Brampton and the richest man in England, is so trusted by King Charles II (Sanders), he is able to have two of the King's loyal friends executed for treason. The second is the father of Lady Mary (Blyth). She travels from France to London to seek justice. While there, she meets Michael Dermott (Purdom), a soldier who fought to restore Charles to the throne. He and many others were never paid for their services, unbeknownst to the King. He therefore turned highwayman. He and his comrades rob the Duke and come into possession of the Duke's notebook. In it are listed twelve rich and powerful people, as well as details of their possessio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Great Diamond Robbery
''The Great Diamond Robbery'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Red Skelton, James Whitmore, Cara Williams and Reginald Owen. It was produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot A diamond potentially worth $2 million, the "Blue Goddess," must be cut. A New York City jeweler, Bainbridge Gibbons, has an expert lined up, but his own diamond cutter, Ambrose C. Park, strongly urges Gibbons to let him do the cutting. On a park bench, Ambrose explains to a stranger that he places a newspaper ad once a year, on his birthday, and sits here hoping to be reunited with the parents who abandoned him in this very spot as an infant. He doesn't even know his real name; he was dubbed "Ambrose Central Park" at an orphanage. Ambrose is arrested after inadvertently becoming drunk in public. A shyster lawyer, Remlick, offers to help for $400, then takes a greater interest when Ambrose offers to pay much more if his parents could be located. A couple o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scandal At Scourie
''Scandal at Scourie'' is a 1953 American drama Technicolor film directed by Jean Negulesco, starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon "above the title", and co-starring Donna Corcoran. Garson and Pidgeon were together for the 8th and last time in this movie, which was filmed on location in Canada. Plot Catholic girl Patsy (Donna Corcoran) lives in an orphanage in Quebec. After Patsy accidentally knocks over a lamp, starting a fire that burns the orphanage down, she finds a new home with the McChesney couple, who live in Protestant Ottawa. While Victoria McChesney (Greer Garson) is excited about the new family member, Patrick McChesney (Walter Pidgeon) reacts reluctantly as he was uninformed of the adoption, and is also a candidate for the Parliament in Ottawa. After Victoria overcomes a case of mycetism caused by Patsy collecting poisonous mushrooms, Patsy is suspected of causing the flame cleaning of the local school. The examination of the case finds no concrete evidence again ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lili (film)
''Lili'' is a 1953 American film released by MGM. It stars Leslie Caron as a touchingly naïve French girl whose emotional relationship with a carnival puppeteer is conducted through the medium of four puppets. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and was also entered in the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. It was later adapted for the stage under the title '' Carnival!'' (1961). ''Lili's'' screenplay, written by Helen Deutsch, was based on a short story and treatment titled "The Seven Souls of Clement O'Reilly" written by Paul Gallico, which in turn was based upon "The Man Who Hated People," a short story by Gallico that appeared in the October 28, 1950 issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post''. After the film's success, Gallico expanded his story into a 1954 novella entitled ''Love of Seven Dolls''. Plot Naive country girl Lili (Leslie Caron) arrives in a provincial town in hopes of locating an old friend of her late father, only to find that he has died. A local sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fearless Fagan
''Fearless Fagan'' is a 1952 comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and stars Janet Leigh and Carleton Carpenter. It is about a clown who is drafted into the military and tries to sneak his pet lion into the service. The film was inspired by the 12 Feb 1951 Life Magazine story ''Fearless Fagan Finds a Home'' where Private Floyd D. Humeston requested an emergency 14-day furlough from Ft. Ord, California to take care of his pet lion. Fagan played himself with the army assigning Pvt Humeston to act as a technical adviser on the film. Plot Floyd Hilstown is working in a circus as a clown with a comical lion act when he finds out he's a draft dodger. He is given a chance to enlist, instead of going to jail, but he doesn't want to leave his best friend. The friend is one Fearless Fagan, a lion which Floyd has raised since he was four days old. The circus owner Owen Gillman suggests he buy the lion, after which Fagan would be worked as an ordinary lion by the circus lion tamer Emil Tacuc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Night Into Morning
''Night Into Morning'' is a 1951 American drama film starring Ray Milland, John Hodiak and Nancy Davis. Plot Everything is going very well for college professor Phillip Ainley (Ray Milland), who has a loving wife and son and an offer to teach at Yale. But his world turns upside-down when Katherine Mead (Nancy Davis), his secretary, rushes to tell him that there's been a deadly explosion at the professor's home. His wife and child are killed. Ainley, devastated, becomes morose and turns to drink, causing Mead, a war widow, and best friend Tom Lawry (John Hodiak), her betrothed, to consider these telltale signs that the professor could be suicidal. A popular athlete on campus has failed an exam and might not graduate, so his girlfriend Dottie (Dawn Addams) appeals to the professor to give him a second chance. A drunken Ainley tells her remaining unmarried might spare them both future heartbreak. He then crashes a car, terrifying the girl and resulting in his arrest. Character wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward, My Son
''Edward, My Son'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by George Cukor for MGM-British Studios that stars Spencer Tracy and Deborah Kerr. The screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart is based on the 1947 play of the same title by Noel Langley and Robert Morley. Plot Canadian Arnold Boult (Spencer Tracy) and his wife Evelyn ( Deborah Kerr) are celebrating the first birthday of their son Edward (who is never seen in the film) with their friend, physician Larry Woodhope ( Ian Hunter), in their London home shortly after World War I. Arnold is about to embark upon a new career in finance with Harry Simpkin (Mervyn Johns), who has been released from prison after serving time on fraud charges. Five years later, Edward is diagnosed with a serious illness requiring a costly operation abroad. With his retail credit business doing poorly, Boult decides to burn down the building in order to finance the surgery with the insurance money. Despite reservations about his partner's scheme, Harry goes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malaya (film)
''Malaya'' is a 1949 American war film set in colonial Malaya during World War II directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Spencer Tracy, James Stewart and Valentina Cortese. The supporting cast features Sydney Greenstreet, John Hodiak, and Lionel Barrymore, with Richard Loo and Gilbert Roland. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot In January 1942, one month after the United States entered World War II, reporter John Royer (James Stewart) returns to the United States. He goes to see his friend, newspaper publisher John Manchester (Lionel Barrymore), about a scheme to smuggle desperately needed rubber out of Japanese-occupied Malaya. Manchester, though he has been selected by the government to deal with the rubber shortage, does not seem interested. However, later, government agent Kellar (John Hodiak) takes Royer to a meeting with Manchester and others. Royer is granted approval to put the smuggling plan into action. Royer needs the help of his old friend, the smuggler C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cynthia (film)
''Cynthia'' is a 1947 American comedy-drama film starring Mary Astor, Elizabeth Taylor, and George Murphy. The film is based on the 1945 play ''The Rich, Full Life'' by Viña Delmar and was adapted by screenwriters Harold Buchman and Charles Kaufman. accessed 8 Jan 2014 Plot In school, baseball hero Larry Bishop () impresses a girl, Louise (), and they fall in love. Both coincidentally have dreams of traveling to Vienna, Austria someday to continue their education, ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
