 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Mar 27, 2021 - 11:45 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
Martha Stewart first worked in show business singing on NBC radio with Glenn Miller, Harry James, and Claude Thornhill. She was recruited by a Hollywood talent scout after an appearance at the Stork Club in Manhattan.
Stewart made her film debut in a supporting role in 1946’s DOLL FACE. In the film, “Mary ‘Doll Face’ Carroll” (Vivian Blaine) hopes to break out of burlesque and into the big time. When she is turned down due to her performing background, her manager “Michael Hannigan” (Dennis O’Keefe) decides to have a ghost-written autobiography written about Mary. The author of the book, “Frederick Gerard” (Stephen Dunne) begins to fall in love with Mary causing conflict with Michael, who also is in love with her. Using the publicity of the book, Michael produces a Broadway show with the help of the other burlesque performers. When Michael and Mary have a falling out, “Frankie Porter” (Martha Stewart) replaces Mary in the show.
Martha Stewart in DOLL FACE
The hit swing-novelty number from the Jimmy McHugh-Harold Adamson score, the wisecracking, very 1940s "Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)," was performed in the film as a duet by Perry Como and Martha Stewart. Como's best-selling single on the Victor label replaced Stewart with a vocal quartet, The Satisfiers, whose lead singer was Helen Carroll. This replacement was unusual, given that Stewart was recording for RCA Victor at the time.
Lewis Seiler directed the film. David Buttolph and Cyril J. Mockridge provided the uncredited score between the musical numbers. DOLL FACE finished in the top 50 films of the year, with a $6.9 million gross.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Mar 28, 2021 - 10:22 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
joec
(Member)
|
Martha Stewart first worked in show business singing on NBC radio with Glenn Miller, Harry James, and Claude Thornhill. She was recruited by a Hollywood talent scout after an appearance at the Stork Club in Manhattan.
Stewart made her film debut in a supporting role in 1946’s DOLL FACE. In the film, “Mary ‘Doll Face’ Carroll” (Vivian Blaine) hopes to break out of burlesque and into the big time. When she is turned down due to her performing background, her manager “Michael Hannigan” (Dennis O’Keefe) decides to have a ghost-written autobiography written about Mary. The author of the book, “Frederick Gerard” (Stephen Dunne) begins to fall in love with Mary causing conflict with Michael, who also is in love with her. Using the publicity of the book, Michael produces a Broadway show with the help of the other burlesque performers. When Michael and Mary have a falling out, “Frankie Porter” (Martha Stewart) replaces Mary in the show.
Martha Stewart in DOLL FACE
The hit swing-novelty number from the Jimmy McHugh-Harold Adamson score, the wisecracking, very 1940s "Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)," was performed in the film as a duet by Perry Como and Martha Stewart. Como's best-selling single on the Victor label replaced Stewart with a vocal quartet, The Satisfiers, whose lead singer was Helen Carroll. This replacement was unusual, given that Stewart was recording for RCA Victor at the time.
Lewis Seiler directed the film. David Buttolph and Cyril J. Mockridge provided the uncredited score between the musical numbers. DOLL FACE finished in the top 50 films of the year, with a $6.9 million gross.
It should be noted that the Fox home Video DVD includes a very pleasing isolated score track which includes the vocal recodings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 28, 2021 - 2:55 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
JOHNNY COMES FLYING HOME takes place following World War II, when three Army pilots—“Johnny Martin” (Richard Crane), “Miles Cary” (Charles Russell), and “Joe Patillo” (Henry "Harry" Morgan)—decide to stay together and go into business for themselves. They form a company to operate a one-airplane freight line, and have many difficulties keeping their operation afloat...and in the air. When Miles and Joe return from one freight run, Johnny is infuriated to learn that they have brought back a passenger, “Anne Cummings” (Martha Stewart), who tries to assuage Johnny's anger by assuring him that she paid for her transport. The next day, Johnny is further annoyed to learn that Miles and Joe have hired Anne as their mechanic.
Benjamin Stoloff directed this 1946 adventure film, which had an unreleased score by David Buttolph. The film was quickly forgotten at the box office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 29, 2021 - 1:20 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
I WONDER WHO’S KISSING HER NOW was conceived as a vehicle for the music of composer-singer-vaudeville star Joseph E. Howard (1867--1961), rather than as a strict biography. Other than Howard, played by Mark Stevens, most of the characters portrayed in the film are fictional. As the film opens, we see Howard as a young man who lives with his guardian, “John McCullem” (George Cleveland), and McCullem's young niece “Katie” (June Haver), whom he regards as a sister. One day, Joe takes Katie to a musical show in New York to hear vaudeville star “Lulu Madison” (Martha Stewart) perform a song he has just sold to her.
June Haver, Mark Stevens, and Martha Stewart in I WONDER WHO’S KISSING HER NOW
Celeste Holm was originally slated to play the role of Lulu Madison, but withdrew from the cast to take maternity leave. Lloyd Bacon directed the 1947 musical, which had uncredited background music from David Buttolph and music director Alfred Newman. The picture ranked in the top 25 films of the year, with a $8.6 million gross.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 30, 2021 - 12:14 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
Screenwriter “Dixon Steele” (Humphrey Bogart) is IN A LONELY PLACE. He is known for his belligerent temper, especially when drinking. This, coupled with his refusal to work on material he dislikes, has kept Dix unemployed for a long time. After meeting his agent, “Mel Lippman” (Art Smith), at Paul's Restaurant to discuss a possible project, Dix invites “Mildred Atkinson” (Martha Stewart), the hat check girl, to his apartment to tell him the plot of the novel he may be assigned to adapt.
Martha Stewart in IN A LONELY PLACE
Nicholas Ray directed this 1950 film noir. Producer Robert Lord was worried about having Ray and star Gloria Grahame, then husband and wife, whose marriage was on the rocks, working together. He made Grahame sign a contract stipulating that "my husband shall be entitled to direct, control, advise, instruct, and even command my actions during the hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day except Sunday. I acknowledge that in every conceivable situation his will and judgment shall be considered superior to mine, and shall prevail." Grahame was also forbidden to "nag, cajole, tease, or in any other feminine fashion seek to distract or influence him."
During filming Ray and Grahame separated. Fearing that if the studio found out about their separation, one or the other would have been fired, the couple agreed to keep the separation secret. Ray slept on the studio set, saying that he needed to work late on preparation for the remainder of the film. It worked, and nobody suspected that their marriage was over. The couple formally divorced on 14 August 1952.
IN A LONELY PLACE has an unreleased score by George Antheil. The film had average grosses of $3.9 million.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 30, 2021 - 4:00 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
In the 1950 prison drama CONVICTED, “Joe Hufford” (Glenn Ford) is a twentysomething, clean-cut, ex-army hero, and brokerage firm worker, who goes to a nightclub and picks up a hot brunette named “Bertie Williams” (Martha Stewart). A frustrated suitor of Bertie’s picks a fight with Joe and gets slugged, hitting his head hard on the dance floor. The next morning, he dies. But since the victim’s father is a big-shot in politics, the District Attorney, “George Knowland” (Broderick Crawford), is forced to prosecute or else his career would be on hold.
Joe’s firm gets him one of their corporation lawyers, “Vernon Bradley” (Roland Winters), who does not know how to defend a murder case and is too pompous to ask for help. The sympathetic DA even tries to help Joe, but the lawyer refuses to take his advice. As a result of an incompetent defense, the innocent Joe is convicted on a manslaughter charge and is given a sentence of 1 to 10 years. Then, Knowland is given the job of warden at Joe’s prison.
Martha Stewart and Glenn Ford in CONVICTED
Henry Levin directed the film, which has an unreleased score by George Duning. The film did moderate business, with a $3.3 million gross.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 31, 2021 - 11:03 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
According to Variety, Walter Benjamin Hare's stage comedy AARON SLICK FROM PUNKIN CRICK was one of the most frequently performed plays in the history of American theater, but was staged primarily by amateur groups and stock companies. No official "opening date" has been found for the play. When Paramount decided to film it in 1952, they turned it into a musical, with songs by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.
In the film, Alan Young plays “Aaron Slick,” a smarter-than-he-looks farmer in love with his neighbor “Josie Berry” (Dinah Shore). His inability to express his feelings leaves an opening for traveling actor “Bill Merridew” (Robert Merrill), who is actually a con artist. Merridew and his "sister" (Adele Jergens) buy Josie's farm, thinking it's rich with oil. Josie uses the money to move to Chicago, leaving a heartbroken Aaron behind. Martha Stewart plays “Soubrette,” a seductive confidence woman.
The 1952 film marked the motion picture debut of opera star Robert Merrill, who broke his contract with the Metropolitan Opera in order to make the film. It marked the final major film appearance of Dinah Shore, who had started her television career in earnest the year before. And it also marked the final major film of Martha Stewart, who left film acting for more than a decade.
Claude Binyon wrote and directed the film, which had incidental music provided by Van Cleave. The film ended up being a second feature on Paramount’s double bills.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 31, 2021 - 4:34 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
|
After more than a decade away from the screen, Martha Stewart returned in a couple of television guest spots, including one on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” in 1964. That year. Stewart also appeared in her final theatrical feature, SURF PARTY. In the film, “Terry” (Patricia Morrow), “Sylvia” (Lory Patrick), and “Junior” (Jackie DeShannon) arrive in Malibu Beach from Arizona to vacation and to visit Terry's brother “Skeet” (Jerry Summers), a former football star whose career was ended by a skull injury. Sylvia falls in love with Skeet, but later finds out that he is being “kept” by “Pauline” (Martha Stewart), a wealthy older woman.
Maury Dexter produced and directed the 1964 film. Jimmie Haskell’s score shared space on a Twentieth Century-Fox soundtrack LP with songs by Jackie DeShannon, The Astronauts and others. The LP has not been re-issued on CD. SURF PARTY didn’t generate much box office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
