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Lee Marcus
Lee Marcus, also known as Lee S. Marcus (December 7, 1893 – January 30, 1969), was an American film producer of the 1930s and 1940s. During his fifteen-year career he produced over 85 films, most of them between 1934 and 1941 while he was at RKO Studios. Prior to his production career, Marcus worked for FBO and then RKO as a sales executive, reaching the level of vice president in both organizations. At RKO, he was head of production of the studio's b-films during the late 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. He was also responsible for producing what many consider to be the first film noir, 1940's '' Stranger on the Third Floor''. Early life Marcus was born on December 7, 1893 in Buffalo, New York. His father was Albert L. Marcus. During World War I Marcus served with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), and in 1918 was stationed in Vitry, France. Career Early career Growing up in Buffalo, Marcus was an avid theater-goer, attending the performances of many stock theater c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Southern Ontario. With a population of 278,349 according to the 2020 census, Buffalo is the 78th-largest city in the United States. The city and nearby Niagara Falls together make up the two-county Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had an estimated population of 1.1 million in 2020, making it the 49th largest MSA in the United States. Buffalo is in Western New York, which is the largest population and economic center between Boston and Cleveland. Before the 17th century, the region was inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indians who were succeeded by the Neutral, Erie, and Iroquois nations. In the early 17th century, the French began to explore the region. In the 18th century, Iroquois land surrounding Buffalo Creek ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Nolan (animator)
William Charles Nolan (June 10, 1894 – December 6, 1954) was an American animated cartoon writer, animator, director, and artist. He is best known for creating and perfecting the rubber hose style of animation and for streamlining Felix the Cat. Career Nolan first began his career in 1913 as a newspaper cartoonist, then worked for Raoul Barre and Kings Features until 1918. Then, in 1924 to 1926, he animated and designed Felix the Cat. He then moved to Winkler to animate on Krazy Kat again. Nolan went to the Walter Lantz Studio from 1929 until 1935, where he animated and briefly voiced Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Nolan also worked at MGM on ''The Captain and the Kids'' series based on the comic strip ''The Katzenjammer Kids''. He then worked with Fleischer Studios where he worked on Popeye and Gulliver's Travels. During WWII, Nolan was in the US Navy drawing technical manuals with Timm Aircraft. In 1949, after the war, he formed Willam-Nicholas Productions with Nick Nicholas. He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Guiol
Fred Guiol (February 17, 1898 – May 23, 1964), pronounced "Gill," was an American film director and screenwriter. Guiol worked at the Hal Roach Studios for many years, first as a property man, later as assistant director and finally writer and director. He directed Laurel and Hardy's earliest short films, as their famous comic partnership gradually developed during 1927. Guiol directed many of Hal Roach's Streamliners in the 1940s. Guiol had worked closely with another Roach employee, cameraman George Stevens. When Stevens became a director in the 1930s, he often engaged Guiol as a screenwriter, Guiol, along with Ivan Moffat,was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for adapting Edna Ferber's novel ''Giant'' into the George Stevens production of ''Giant''. Fred Guiol is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Partial filmography * ''The Battling Orioles'' (1924) *''Say It with Babies'' (1926) *'' The Cow's Kimona'' (1926) *''Along C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
High Flyers (film)
''High Flyers'' (aka ''The Kangaroos'') is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Edward Cline and starring the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey in their final film together. Robert Woolsey died less than a year after the film was released. The supporting cast includes Lupe Vélez, Margaret Dumont, Marjorie Lord, Paul Harvey and Jack Carson. The film was produced and distributed by RKO Pictures. Plot Jeremiah "Jerry" Lane and Pierre Potkin are a couple of midway "pilots" on a carnival ride who have never actually been in the air. The duo leave their job when they are hired by smuggler Dave Hanlon to fly a real seaplane (not knowing it is a stolen police aircraft) in order to retrieve a lifesaver thrown from an ocean liner and deliver it to him. They think that the lifesaver contains news photos, but inside it they soon find cocaine, which blows in their faces and intoxicates them, and a box of stolen jewels. Jerry and Pierre eventually crash-land on the Arlington est ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mummy's Boys
''Mummy's Boys'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol and written by Jack Townley, Philip G. Epstein and Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Barbara Pepper, Moroni Olsen, Frank M. Thomas and Willie Best. The film was released on October 2, 1936, by RKO Pictures. Plot Phillip Browning (Frank M. Thomas), convinced that the mysterious deaths of ten of his colleagues is the result of a mummy's curse, hopes to avoid the fate of the others by returning King Pharatime's treasures to his tomb. Ditch diggers Stanley Wright (Bert Wheeler) and Aloysius C. Whittaker (Robert Woolsey) answer a newspaper advertisement to join Browning's Egyptian expedition. Whittaker presents himself (unconvincingly) as an Egyptian expert, and Wright—who is immediately attracted to Browning's daughter Mary (Barbara Pepper)—makes a poor impression because he suffers spells of forgetfulness that can be cured only by taking a nap. (This is a running gag throughout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silly Billies
''Silly Billies'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol from a screenplay by Al Boasberg and Jack Townley, based on a story by Guiol and Thomas Lennon. The film was the twentieth feature for the comedy duo of Wheeler and Woolsey (Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey), and also stars Dorothy Lee, who had been in a number of their films. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures on March 20, 1936. Premise In 1851, dentists Roy Banks (Wheeler) and Philip "Painless" Pennington ( Woolsey) attempt to save a town from being led into an Indian ambush. Cast *Bert Wheeler as Roy Banks *Robert Woolsey as Dr. Philip "Painless" Pennington * Dorothy Lee as Mary Blake * Harry Woods as Hank Bewley *Ethan Laidlaw as Trigger *Chief Thunderbird as Chief Cyclone *Delmar Watson as Martin * Richard Alexander as John Little *Willie Best William Best (May 27, 1913 – February 27, 1962), known professionally as Willie Best or Sleep n' Eat, was an American television and film actor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Rainmakers (film)
''The Rainmakers'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol from a screenplay by Grant Garrett and Leslie Goodwins, based on a story by Guiol and Albert Traynor. RKO Radio Pictures released the film on October 25, 1935, starring the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey (Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey) and Dorothy Lee. Plot Rainmakers Billy (Wheeler) and Roscoe ( Woolsey) take on a crooked businessman out to cash in on a drought. Cast *Bert Wheeler as Billy *Robert Woolsey as Roscoe * Dorothy Lee as Margie Spencer *Berton Churchill as Simon Parker *George Meeker as Orville Parker *Frederic Roland as Henry Spencer *Edgar Dearing as Kelly References External links * * * *''The Rainmakers''at ''TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...'' (A version ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Nitwits
''The Nitwits'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by George Stevens from a screenplay written by Fred Guiol and Al Boasberg, based on a story by Stuart Palmer. Released by RKO on June 7, 1935, the film stars the comedy duo of Wheeler & Woolsey (Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey), with featured roles being filled by Fred Keating, Betty Grable, Evelyn Brent and Erik Rhodes. Fred Keating replaced Lionel Atwill, who later played the villain in the 1946 remake, '' Genius at Work''. Plot Cigar-stand attendants Johnny ( Wheeler) and Newton ( Woolsey) get mixed up in a murder investigation at a radio station. Cast * Bert Wheeler as Johnny * Robert Woolsey as Newton * Fred Keating as William Darrell * Betty Grable as Mary Roberts * Evelyn Brent as Alice Lake * Erik Rhodes as George Clark * Hale Hamilton as Winfield Lake * Charles C. Wilson as Police Captain Jennings * Arthur Aylesworth as Lurch * Willie Best as Sleepy * Lew Kelly Lew Kelly (August 24, 1879 – June ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Stevens
George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, film producer, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', March 12, 1975, page 79. Films he produced were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture six times while he had five nominations as Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, winning twice. Among his most notable films are ''Swing Time (film), Swing Time'' (1936), ''Gunga Din (film), Gunga Din'' (1939) and the five movies for which he was nominated for Best Director: ''The More the Merrier (film), The More the Merrier'' (1943); ''A Place in the Sun (1951 film), A Place in the Sun'' (1951), for which he won the Best Director Oscar; ''Shane (film), Shane'' (1953), ''Giant (1956 film), Giant'' (1956), for which he won the Best Director Oscar, and ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959). Biography Film career Stevens was born on December 18, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wheeler And Woolsey
Wheeler & Woolsey were an American vaudeville comedy double act who performed together in comedy films from the late 1920s. The team comprised Bert Wheeler (1895–1968) of New Jersey and Robert Woolsey (1888–1938) of Illinois. Collaboration and background The Broadway theatre performers were initially teamed as the comedy relief for the 1927 Broadway musical '' Rio Rita'', and came to Hollywood to reprise these roles for the film version. The film's success convinced them to become a permanent team, and they continued to make very popular comedy feature films from 1930 until 1937, all for RKO Radio Pictures—except the 1933 Columbia Pictures release '' So This Is Africa'' (which was made during a contract dispute with RKO). Curly-haired Bert Wheeler played an ever-smiling innocent, who was easily led and not very bright, but who would also sometimes display a stubborn streak of conscience. Bespectacled Robert Woolsey played a genially leering, cigar-smoking, fast-talking ide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kentucky Kernels
''Kentucky Kernels'' is a 1934 American comedy directed by George Stevens and starring the comedy duo of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. The screenplay was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, and Fred Guiol, from a story by Kalmar and Ruby. Plot The Great Elmer and Company, two out-of-work magicians, help lovelorn Jerry Bronson adopt Spanky Milford, to distract him. When Bronson makes up and elopes, the pair are stuck with the little boy. But Spanky inherits a Kentucky fortune, so they head south to Banesville, where the Milfords and Wakefields are conducting a bitter feud. Cast * Bert Wheeler as Willie Doyle * Robert Woolsey as Elmer Dugan * Mary Carlisle as Gloria Wakefield * George 'Spanky' McFarland, 'Spanky' McFarland as Spanky * Noah Beery as Colonel Wakefield * Lucille La Verne, Lucille LaVerne as Aunt Hannah Milford * Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Baxter * Willie Best, Sleep 'n' Eat as Buckshot References 1934 comedy films 1934 films American comedy films Films dir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bert Gilroy
Bert Gilroy (May 7, 1899 – January 16, 1973) was an American film producer of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Arizona in 1899, he began his Hollywood career behind the scenes on the 1926 silent film ''Pals in Paradise''. In 1934, he began producing by overseeing short films for RKO Radio Pictures with ''Bandits and Ballads'', a musical short. After four years of producing shorts, he would be given a chance at producing a full-length feature at RKO, with the western film, ''Gun Law''. Later that year he would produce ''Painted Desert'', a remake of the 1931 film ''The Painted Desert'' for which he was the assistant director, and was memorable as containing the first speaking role for Clark Gable. During the decade he was active, he would produce over 150 short and feature films. His feature films would overwhelmingly consist of westerns, many of which would star RKO's leading western star of the 1930s, Tim Holt. Gilroy spent almost his entire career at RKO studios, after its crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
