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Happy Days (1929 Film)
''Happy Days'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film directed by Benjamin Stoloff, which was the first feature film shown entirely in widescreen anywhere in the world, filmed using the Fox Grandeur 70 mm process. French director Abel Gance's '' Napoléon'' (1927) had a final widescreen segment in what Gance called Polyvision. Paramount released '' Old Ironsides'' (1927), with two sequences in a widescreen process called "Magnascope", while MGM released '' Trail of '98'' (1928) in a widescreen process called "Fanthom Screen". The film features an array of stars who were contracted to William Fox's Fox Film Corporation at that time, including Marjorie White, Will Rogers, Charles Farrell, Janet Gaynor, George Jessel, El Brendel, Ann Pennington, Victor McLaglen, Dixie Lee, Edmund Lowe, and Frank Richardson. It also featured the first appearance of Betty Grable on film, aged 12, as a chorus girl, and Sir Harry Lauder's nephew, Harry Lauder II, a conductor for Fox, who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benjamin Stoloff
Benjamin Stoloff (October 6, 1895 – September 8, 1960) was an American film director and producer. He began his career as a short film comedy director and gradually moved into feature film directing and production later in his career. Director filmography 1940s–1950s *'' Home Run Derby'' (1959) – TV Series *''Footlight Varieties'' (1951) *''It's a Joke, Son!'' (1947) *''Johnny Comes Flying Home'' (1946) *'' Take It or Leave It'' (1944) *''Bermuda Mystery'' (1944) *''The Mysterious Doctor'' (1943) *'' The Hidden Hand'' (1942) *''Secret Enemies'' (1942) *'' Three Sons o' Guns'' (1941) *''The Great Mr. Nobody'' (1941) *''The Marines Fly High'' (1940) 1930s *''The Lady and the Mob'' (1939) *''The Affairs of Annabel'' (1938) *'' Radio City Revels'' (1938) *''Fight for Your Lady'' (1937) *''Super-Sleuth'' (1937) *'' Sea Devils'' (1937) *''Don't Turn 'Em Loose'' (1936) *''Two in the Dark'' (1936) *''To Beat the Band'' (1935) *''Swellhead'' (1935) *''Transatla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trail Of '98
''The Trail of '98'' is a 1928 American silent action-adventure/drama film featuring Harry Carey and Dolores del Río about the Klondike Gold Rush. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-lived widescreen process called “Fantom Screen“. The film is based on the 1910 novel by that title, written by Robert W. Service. Cast * Dolores del Río as Berna * Ralph Forbes as Larry * Karl Dane as Lars Petersen * Harry Carey as Jack Locasto * Tully Marshall as Salvation Jim * George Cooper as Samuel Foote (The Worm) * Russell Simpson as Old Swede * Emily Fitzroy as Mrs. Bulkey * Tenen Holtz as Mr. Bulkey * Cesare Gravina as Henry Kelland (Berna's Grandfather) * Doris Lloyd as Locasto's procurer * E. Alyn Warren as Engineer * Johnny Downs as Mother's boy (as John Down) * Ray Hallor as Brother Jim * Ray Gallagher as Brother Joe * Francis Ford as Gold Commissioner's assistant (uncredited) * Roscoe Karns as Man on ship (uncredited) * Jacques Tourneur as Extra (uncredited) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States, and is more than twice as populous as second-place Los Angeles. New York City lies at the southern tip of New York State, and constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous megacities, and over 58 million people live within of the city. New York City is a global cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and life sciences, research, technology, education, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Showboat
A showboat, or show boat, was a floating theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers. Showboats were a special type of riverboat designed to carry passengers rather than cargo, and they had to be pushed by a small (and misleadingly labeled) towboat, also known as a pusher, which was attached to it. Showboats were rarely steam-powered because the steam engine had to be placed right in the auditorium for logistical reasons, therefore making it difficult to have a large theater. History During the American frontier era, populations of potential audiences were widely scattered about the area that is now the United States. Actors traveled to America from England, and theatre venues as well as touring companies were developed. Noah Ludlow, an early pioneer in travelling theater, purchased a keelboat in 1816 for $200 and named it ''Noah's Ark''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Lauder
Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a Scottish singer and comedian popular in both music hall and vaudeville theatre traditions; he achieved international success. He was described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador", who "... by his inspiring songs and valiant life, rendered measureless service to the Scottish race and to the British Empire." He became a familiar worldwide figure promoting images like the kilt and the cromach (walking stick) to huge acclaim, especially in America. Among his most popular songs were "Roamin' in the Gloamin", "A Wee Deoch-an-Doris", "The End of the Road" and, a particularly big hit for him, "I Love a Lassie". Lauder's understanding of life, its pathos and joys, earned him his popularity. Beniamino Gigli com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reigned in the Quigley Poll's top 10 box office stars (a feat only matched by Doris Day, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, although all were surpassed by Mary Pickford, who was in for 13 times). The U.S. Treasury Department in 1946 and 1947 listed her as the highest-salaried American woman; she earned more than $3 million during her career. Grable began her film career in 1929 at age 12, after which she was fired from a contract when it was learned she signed up under false identification. She had contracts with RKO and Paramount Pictures during the 1930s, and appeared in a string of B movies, mostly portraying college students. Grable came to prominence in the Broadway musical '' DuBarry Was a Lady'' (1939), which brought her to the atte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edmund Lowe
Edmund Dantes Lowe (March 3, 1890 – April 21, 1971) was an American actor. His formative experience began in vaudeville and silent film. Biography Lowe was born in San Jose, California. His father was a local judge. His childhood home was at 314 North 1st Street, San Jose. He attended Santa Clara College and entertained the idea of becoming a priest before starting his acting career. He died in Woodland Hills, California, of lung cancer and is buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California. Film career Lowe's career included over 100 films. He is best remembered for his role as Sergeant Quirt in the 1926 movie '' What Price Glory?'' (Lowe reprised his role from the movie in the radio program '' Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt'', broadcast on the Blue Network September 28, 1941 - January 25, 1942, and on NBC February 13, 1942 - April 3, 1942.) Despite making a smooth transition to talking pictures, by the mid 1930s he was no longer a major star, altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dixie Lee
Dixie Lee (born Wilma Winifred Wyatt; November 4, 1909 – November 1, 1952) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She was the first wife of singer Bing Crosby. Biography She was born Wilma Winifred Wyatt in Harriman, Tennessee, on November 4, 1909, to Evan Wyatt and the former Nora Scarborough. (When she entered show business, she gave her birth date as November 4, 1911.) After moving to Chicago, she graduated from Senn High School. While in Chicago she adopted the professional name "Dixie Carroll" to enter an amateur singing contest in May 1928. She won the contest and the prize was a job as a singer at a roadhouse called College Inn. While working there, she was spotted by a talent scout and given a part in the traveling company of '' Good News''. A film contract was subsequently offered and Winfield Sheehan of the Fox film studio changed her name to Dixie Lee, to avoid confusion with actresses Nancy Carroll and Sue Carol. Marriage She met Bing Crosby at the age ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victor McLaglen
Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British boxer-turned-Hollywood actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. He was known as a character actor, particularly in Westerns, and made seven films with John Ford and John Wayne. McLaglen won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1935 for his role in '' The Informer''. Early life McLaglen claimed to have been born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, although his birth certificate records 505 Commercial Road, Stepney in the East End of London as his true birthplace. His father, Andrew Charles Albert Mclaglen, was a missionary in the Free Protestant Church in South Africa, and was later a bishop of the Free Protestant Episcopal Church of England. The McLaglen family is ultimately of Scottish origin, descended from a MacLachlan who settled in South Africa in the 19th century. The name was rendered into McLaglen from Dutch pronunciation. A.C.A. McLaglen was christened Andries Carel Albertu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ann Pennington (Ziegfeld Star)
Anna Pennington (December 23, 1893 – November 4, 1971) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who starred on Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s, notably in the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and ''George White's Scandals''. She became famous for what was, at the time, called a "Shake and Quiver Dancer", and was noted for her variation of the " Black Bottom". She also was noted as an accomplished tap dancer. Ray Henderson wrote the extant version of "Black Bottom" for Ann – she had already been performing the popular version of the dance for some time. Some years prior to this, she had also topped the bill on Broadway in her performance of the musically similar "Charleston". Pennington also achieved fame as a star of both silent and sound motion pictures. Early life Pennington was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on December 23, 1893, and reputedly moved with her family to Camden, New Jersey, around 1900. Her father worked for the Victor music company, they were Quakers, and sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
El Brendel
Elmer Goodfellow "El" Brendel (March 25, 1890 – April 9, 1964) was an American vaudeville comedian turned movie star, best remembered for his dialect routine as a Swedish immigrant. His biggest role was as "Single-0" in the sci-fi musical ''Just Imagine'' (1930), produced by Fox Film Corporation. His screen name was pronounced "El Bren-DEL". Early life He was born on March 25, 1890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to an Irish mother and German immigrant father. Brendel, unlike his stage and film character, was not Swedish. He spoke standard American English without a trace of any other accent. He attended the University of Pennsylvania. He entered vaudeville in 1913 as a German dialect comedian and married his vaudeville partner. Due to anti-German sentiment brought about by the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, Brendel developed a new character, one he would portray on stage and in films for the rest of his career: a good-natured, simple Swede, often called "Oley," "Ole," or "Ol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Jessel (actor)
George Albert "Georgie" Jessel (April 3, 1898 – May 23, 1981) was an American, actor, singer, songwriter, film producer, and illustrated song "model." He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies. He was widely known by his nickname, the " Toastmaster General of the United States," for his frequent role as the master of ceremonies at political and entertainment gatherings. Jessel originated the title role in the stage production of '' The Jazz Singer''. Early years Jessel was born to a Jewish couple, Joseph and Charlotte "Lottie" (née Schwarz) Jessel, on 118th Street in Harlem, New York City. By age 10, he was appearing in vaudeville and on Broadway to support his family after the death of his father, who was a playwright. His mother, who worked as a ticket seller at the Imperial Theater, helped him form The Imperial Trio, a harmony group of ushers to entertain patrons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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