Here are 10 things you should know about Natalie Moorhead, born 119 years ago today. She spent a dozen years in Hollywood and then stepped out of the spotlight.
Tag: The Thin Man
Fill Your Friday with The Falcon
The Falcon series of motion pictures are entertaining enough but not terribly compelling. They don’t have the compelling sense of darkness and danger that the films noir of the day offered, and they aren’t as funny and fun as the Thin Man series of movie mysteries.
But they do make for reasonably entertaining cinematic diversions, and if you’ve never experienced a Falcon picture, tomorrow, September 2, is your day. TCM is airing the first eleven entries in the series beginning at 6:15 am ET.
The Falcon originated as a character in Michael Arlen’s short story, Gay Falcon, that author’s only contribution to the annals of crime fiction. In the story, the adventurous, debonair good-guy-for-hire we know as the Falcon was actually named Falcon—Gay Stanhope Falcon. But in the movies and on the radio, his name was Gay Laurence (other names were later used) and The Falcon was his nickname, his alias; how he acquired it was never fully explained.
The Falcon was a near-carbon copy of The Saint, so much so that the Saint’s creator, author Leslie Charteris sued RKO for plagiarism (and mocked the character in his 1943 novel, The Saint Steps In). George Sanders played the character in the first four films, but had no interest in continuing his association with the series, so in The Falcon’s Brother (1942), Sanders’ real-life brother, Tom Conway, was brought in to play the Falcon’s fictional brother, Tom, who thereafter also went by the Falcon alias—convenient, no? Conway would play the Falcon in nine pictures from 1943-46.
Beginning in 1948, John Calvert took over the role of the Falcon (whose name was now Michael Waring) in the series’ final three pictures, but they were not successful. Gruff, tough Charles McGraw, a very different type than Sanders and Conway (urbane and sophisticated he was not), would take over the role in 1954 for a syndicated television series that ran for 39 episodes.
TCM is showing the first three of Sanders’ Falcon pictures, the transition entry in the film that saw Sanders and Conway both starring, and the first seven of Conway’s nine pictures in the role. Our suggestion? Take the day off , get up early and dedicate the first 12.5 hours of your Labor Day weekend to getting acquainted with the Falcon.
Happy 124th Birthday, William Powell!
William Powell was born William Horatio Powell 124 years ago today in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Of all the actors of the Cladrite Era, it is Powell we would choose to model ourselves after. He came off as suave, sophisticated, elegant, witty, warm and decent. Here are 10 WP Did-You-Knows:
- Though their marriage lasted just over two years, ending in divorce in 1933, Powell and Carole Lombard remained close friends until her death in 1942.
- Powell and legendary baseball manager Casey Stengel attended Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri, together.
- Harlean Carpenter, who would be known years later as Jean Harlow, lived just a few blocks away from Powell in Kansas City, but the two would not meet until they were both working actors in Hollywood.
- Powell had been romantically involved with Harlow for two years at the time of her death and he paid for her funeral, spending $30,000.
- William Powell made 13 pictures with Myrna Loy—14, if you count her cameo in The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947).
- Politically, Powell was a Republican.
- Powell’s favorite singer was Jo Stafford.
- Powell had cancer of the rectum in 1938. An unconventional treatment that involved inserting platinum needles containing radium pellets into his body caused the cancer to go into remission and he lived for another 46 years.
- Powell’s career was not threatened by the advent of talkies; on the contrary, they caused his star to rise.
- Though Powell was nominated three times for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar, he never won.
Happy birthday, William Powell, wherever you may be!
Spend New Year’s Eve with the Marxes & the Charleses
What are you doing New Year’s Eve? We’re not referencing the classic song of that name (a favorite of ours, by the way); we’re asking the question. Because Turner Classic Movies has arranged a day of programming that, for our money, negates any need to even think of joining the inebriated hordes who’ll be out on the town, paying too much to have too little fun. Stay home instead, and enjoy the Marx Brothers all day and Nick and Nora Charles (and Asta, too) all night!
The Marx Brothers‘ first—and finest—seven pictures will air (slightly out of order, which is a bit of a head-scratcher) beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET, followed by all six Thin Man movies (which are being shown in proper order) beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
It’s nearly 23 hours of programming, so you’ll want to get plenty of rest tonight.
In Their Words: William Powell
If allowed to experience the career of just one movie star from the Golden Era of Hollywood, we might just choose to be William Powell, who made suavity and elegance seem accessible and fun.
In any case, Powell, whose 121st birthday we missed yesterday, ranks near the top of the list of our favorite stars of the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. A belated happy birthday, Bill; we’ll raise two toasts in your honor today.
