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Professional Sweetheart
''Professional Sweetheart'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic comedy directed by William A. Seiter from a screenplay by Maurine Watkins. It stars Ginger Rogers in her first film for RKO Radio Pictures, with Norman Foster, ZaSu Pitts and Frank McHugh. The film is a satire of the radio industry. Plot Glory Eden is the "Purity Girl" of the ''Ippsie Wippsie Hour'' radio program. The show's sponsor, Sam Ipswich, discovered the orphan and made her a star in three months. He needs her public image to match her pure radio persona to promote Ippsie Wippsie, "the washcloth of queens." However, Glory longs to be a party girl who frequents nightclubs where she can drink, dance and meet men. She listens with envy as her black maid Vera describes the nightlife in Harlem. Ipswich is eager for her to sign a new contract, but she throws a tantrum and refuses because it explicitly prohibits all the things that she wants to do. Along with everything else that Glory has missed, she wants a s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William A
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucien Littlefield
Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men before he was of voting age. Life and career Lucien Littlefield was born in San Antonio, Texas and attended Staunton Military Academy. He started his movie career in 1913 and worked as an actor until his death in 1960. He usually portrayed comedic supporting characters, often much older than himself. His role of the doctor in '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1927) is one of his more notable performances. The character actor appeared with Laurel and Hardy, first as an eccentric professor in '' Dirty Work'' and finally as a veterinarian in ''Sons of the Desert'', both made in 1933. He also played Mary Pickford's father in ''My Best Girl'' in 1927. Other roles include the western ''Tumbleweeds'' with William S. Hart, the comedy '' Ruggles of Red ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Screenland
''Screenland'' was a monthly U.S. magazine about movies, published between September 1920 and June 1971,''Screenland'' at Moviemags.com when it merged with '' Silver Screen''. In the September 1952 issue, the name changed to ''Screenland plus TV-Land''. In was established in , with Myron Zobel as the editor in 1922. Frederick James Smith became the editor in 1923 when it moved to |
Etta Moten Barnett
Etta Moten Barnett (November 5, 1901 – January 2, 2004) was an American actress and contralto vocalist, who was identified with her signature role of "Bess" in ''Porgy and Bess''. She created new roles for African-American women on stage and screen. After her performing career, Barnett was active in Chicago as a major philanthropist and civic activist, raising funds for and supporting cultural, social and church institutions. She also hosted a radio program in Chicago and represented the United States in several official delegations to nations in Africa. Biography Early years Etta Moten was born in Weimar, Texas, the only child of a Methodist minister, Rev. Freeman F. Moten, and a teacher, his wife, Ida Norman Moten. She started singing as a child in the church choir. Etta's family put great importance on education, as her parents made sure she was enrolled in good schools no matter where they moved. Etta attended Paul Quinn College's secondary school in Waco, Texas.“ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Eliscu
Edward Eliscu (April 2, 1902 – June 18, 1998) was an American lyricist, playwright, producer and actor, and a successful writer of songs for films. Life Eliscu was born in Manhattan, New York City. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in Manhattan as a classmate of director George Cukor. He then attended City College of New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. He then began acting in Broadway plays. Eliscu's first film score was with Vincent Youmans and Billy Rose for the film '' Great Day''. Two well-known songs from that show include "More Than You Know," and "Without a Song." He married the dancer and journalist Stella Bloch in 1931. They both worked in the film industry until the House Committee on Un-American Activities named her husband in the 1950s. This ended his career in the film and later in the television industry. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Akst
Harry Akst (August 15, 1894 – March 31, 1963) - accessed November 19, 2011 was an American songwriter, who started out his career as a in accompanying singers such as Nora Bayes, Frank Fay and . Life and c ...
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Maurine Dallas Watkins
Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, 1896? – August 10, 1969) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Early in her career, she briefly worked as a journalist covering the courthouse beat for the ''Chicago Tribune''. This experience gave her the material for her most famous piece of work, the stage play, ''Chicago'' (1926), which was eventually adapted into the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name, which was then made into a successful movie in 2002 that won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Watkins was born in Kentucky and grew up in Indiana. She graduated with honors from Butler University and headed to Radcliffe, where she received training as a dramatist. She left Radcliffe and was in advertising in Chicago in the early 1920s. She then landed a job as a reporter before returning to university at what became Yale Drama School and play-writing success. Watkins went on to write screenplays in Hollywood, eventually retiring to Florida. Early life and career Wat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jane Murfin
Jane Murfin (October 27, 1884 – August 10, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter. The author of several successful plays, she wrote some of them with actress Jane Cowl—most notably '' Smilin' Through'' (1919), which was adapted three times for motion pictures. In Hollywood Murfin became a popular screenwriter whose credits include ''What Price Hollywood?'' (1932), for which she received an Academy Award nomination. In the 1920s she lived with Laurence Trimble, writing and producing films for their dog Strongheart, the first major canine star. Life and career Jane Macklem was born October 27, 1884, in Quincy, Michigan. In 1907 she married attorney James Murfin, and retained his surname when the marriage ended fewer than five years later. Murfin began her career with the play ''Lilac Time'', which she co-wrote with actress Jane Cowl. The Broadway production opened February 6, 1917, and ran for 176 performances. Later that year the two women began collaborating, o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leadership The institute is composed of leaders from the film, entertainment, business, and academic communities. The board of trustees is chaired by Kathleen Kennedy and the board of directors chaired by Robert A. Daly guide the organization, which is led by President and CEO, film historian Bob Gazzale. Prior leaders were founding director George Stevens Jr. (from the organization's inception in 1967 until 1980) and Jean Picker Firstenberg (from 1980 to 2007). History The American Film Institute was founded by a 1965 presidential mandate announced in the Rose Garden of the White House by Lyndon B. Johnson—to establish a national arts organization to preserve the legacy of American film heritage, educate the next generation of filmmake ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Betty Furness
Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator. Early years Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness and his wife Florence. She attended the Brearley School and Bennett Junior College. Furness made her stage debut in the school holidays in the title role of ''Alice in Wonderland''. She also posed for commercial advertising. She began her professional career as a model before being noticed by a talent scout and being signed to a film contract in 1932 by RKO Studios. Her first film role was as the "Thirteenth Woman" in the film '' Thirteen Women'' (1932) but her scenes were deleted before the film's release. Over the next few years, she appeared in several RKO films, and became a popular actress. Among her film successes were '' Magnificent Obsession'' (1935) and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film '' Swing Time'' (1936). By the end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theresa Harris
Theresa Harris (December 31, 1906 – October 8, 1985) was an American television and film actress, singer and dancer. Early life Harris was born on New Year's Eve 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas, to Isaiah and Mable Harris, both of whom were former sharecroppers from Louisiana. Harris' family relocated to Southern California when she was 11 years old. After graduating Jefferson High School, she studied at the UCLA Conservatory of Music and Zoellner's Conservatory of Music. She then joined the Lafayette Players, an African American musical comedy theatre troupe. Career She made her film debut in 1929 in ''Thunderbolt'', singing the song "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home". As she entered the 1930s, she played, often without credit, maids to characters acted by Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, Sylvia Sidney, Frances Dee, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Thelma Todd, Kay Francis, and Barbara Stanwyck. She also floated around studios doing bit-parts, usually at Warner Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
June Brewster
June Brewster (August 8, 1913 – November 2, 1995) was an American film actress of the 1930s. Selected filmography * ''The Sport Parade'' (1932) * ''Goldie Gets Along'' (1933) * ''Meet the Baron'' (1933) * ''Headline Shooter'' (1933) * '' Flying Devils'' (1933) * ''Hips, Hips, Hooray!'' (1934) * ''Melody Cruise'' (1933) * ''The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' (1936) * '' Partners in Crime'' (1937) * ''Blonde Trouble'' (1937) * '' The Lady Escapes'' (1937) * ''Love Is a Headache ''Love Is a Headache'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and written by Marion Parsonnet, Harry Ruskin and William R. Lipman. The film stars Gladys George, Franchot Tone, Ted Healy, Mickey Rooney, Frank Jenks and Ralph ...'' (1938) * '' Thanks for the Memory'' (1938) References External links * 1913 births 1995 deaths American film actresses Actresses from New York (state) Actresses from Las Vegas 20th-century American actresses {{US-film-actor-1910s-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
