Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939 by Mark A. Vieira

Chances are very good that if you are a serious classic film buff you are familiar with the work of author, filmmaker, and photographer Mark A. Vieira. He is the author of several books related to the Golden Age of Hollywood, including Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy, Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood,  Hollywood Horror: From Gothic To Cosmic, and many others. He has appeared in various documentaries related to classic film, including Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood. I rather suspect that many classic film buffs have been looking forward to Mr. Vieira's latest book, Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939.


As one might expect from the title, in Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939 Mr. Vieira examines fifty films from 1939. That having been said, one should not expect a simple catalogue of some of the best films of the year. In the introduction Mr. Vieira explains how and why 1939 came to be one of the most phenomenal years in the history of film. The entries for the films themselves are incredible as well. Not only does Mark A. Vieira give us behind the scenes looks at the making of some of the greatest films of all time, but he also gives us the gossip of the time and reviews from the critics as well. He has clearly done a good deal of research on both the factors which led to 1939 being  banner year for movies, as well as a good deal of research on the films themselves. What makes all of this all the more delightful is that Mark A. Vieira discusses the films in the context of the time in which they are made. He does not try to judge the films from a modern day perspective.

As to the various films discussed in Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939, they are quite a varied lot. Of course, the films from 1939 usually counted among the greatest films of all time are all there: Gunga Din, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, The Wizard of Oz, The Women, and Gone with the Wind. That having been said, Mr. Vieira discusses some more obscure films that the average person might never have heard of (Rose of Washington Square being an example). He also selected films from a variety of genres. Within the pages of Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939 one will find entries for horror movies (Son of Frankenstein, Tower of London), romances (Love Affair), Westerns (Jesse James and Stagecoach), and yet other genres.

Of course, given that Mark A. Vieira covers only fifty films from a year that might well have boasted over 100 truly great films, I rather suspect some people will complain that he omitted at least one or more of their favourites from the year. I must admit that I myself was a little disappointed to see Another Thin Man was not included, a film I consider to be the best in what could be the greatest series of films Hollywood ever made. While film buffs might quibble over the films omitted from Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939, I have to point out that it would be terribly difficult for anyone to choose only fifty films from 1939 without leaving something out. I then think Mr. Vieira did a very good job in the choices he made and I really can't complain about any of the films that were included.

Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939 is a coffee table book, so as might be expected there are a good deal of pictures. And with his photographer's eye Mr. Vieira chose some incredible photographs to include in the book. Here I must point out that the collection of photographs in the book not only include the expected publicity shots and movie stills one so often sees, but also a few behind the scenes shots as well. Over all the book is beautifully designed,  from its cover to the fonts used in the interior of the book. Running Press is to be congratulated for designing a book that is as enjoyable to look at as it is to read.

Anyone who has seen Mark A. Vieira's other works know that he loves classic film and it shows in Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939. In many respects it can be described as a love letter to a year many consider to be the greatest one for film of all time. It is certainly a must have book for any fan of classic film.

The Slipper & The Rose Guest Post on The Margaret Lockwood Society's Blog

I have a guest post on the Margaret Lockwood Society's blog today. It is a look back on Miss Lockwood's final feature film, The Slipper & The Rose from 1976. If you are a fan of Margaret Lockwood or musicals, you might want to check it out!

Sarah Marshall R.I.P.

Sarah Marshall, a British born actress who appeared on television, on stage, and in films, died 18 January 2014 at the age of 80. The cause was cancer.

Sarah Marshall was born in London on 25 May 1933. She was the daughter of actors Herbert Marshall (who appeared in Foreign Correspondent and The Razor's Edge among other films) and Edna Best (who appeared in the original The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir among other films).  She made her debut on Broadway in 1951 in a revival of Dream Girl. Throughout the Fifties she appeared on Broadway in the productions Idiot's Delight, Jane, a revival of Mr. Pickwick, a revival of Charley's Aunt, The Ponder Heart, A Visit to a Small Planet, and Goodbye, Charlie.

She made her television debut in 1954 in a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of King Richard II. In the Fifties she guest starred on such shows as Kraft Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Producer's Showcase, Studio One, Adventures of the Sea Hawk, The Aquanauts, Hong Kong, Peter Loves Mary, and The Tab Hunter Show. She made her film debut in The Long Hot Summer (1958).

In the Sixties she made one last appearance on Broadway in Come Blow Your Horn. She guest starred on such shows as The United States Steel Hour, Thriller, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Stoney Burke, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rogues, 12 O' Clock High, The Fugitive, F Troop, My Favourite Martian, Get Smart, I Spy, The Wild Wild West, Star Trek, and Daniel Boone. She appeared in the films Wild and Wonderful (1964), A Rage to Live (1965) and Lord Love a Duck (1966).

In the Seventies she played the regular role of Evelyn Winslow on the short lived sitcom Miss Winslow and Son. She guest starred on such shows as Play for Today, Medical Centre, and Great Mysteries. She appeared in the mini-series Scruples. She appeared in the film Embassy (1972). In London she appeared on stage in productions of Children, Applause, and The Gingerbread Lady.

From the Eighties into the teens she guest starred on such shows as Three's Company, The Jeffersons, Hart to Hart, Remington Steele, and Cheers. She appeared in the films Bristlelip (1982), Dave (1993), Dangerous Minds (1995), Bad Blood (2006), and Bad Blood... the Hunger (2012).

If Sarah Marshall appeared so frequently as a guest star on American television shows, it is perhaps because she was an actress with a great deal of range. In the Twilight Zone episode "Little Girl Lost" she played a mother of a little girl who has mysteriously disappeared into the wall of her bedroom. In the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Roving River" she played the title lawyer's client, who is embroiled in a land dispute. In the Star Trek episode she played Dr. Janet Wallace, a brilliant biologist and an old flame of Captain Kirk. She was an actress capable of playing a variety of roles and playing all of them well. It should then be little wonder that she was as prolific as she was.

Alexandra Bastedo Passes On

Actress and animal welfare advocate  Alexandra Bastedo died on 12 January 2014 at the age of 67. The cause was cancer. She was perhaps best known for her role as Sharron Macready on The Champions. She was the founder of the Alexandra Bastedo Champions (ABC) Animal Sanctuary as well.

Alexandra Bastedo was born on 9 March 1946 in Hove, East Sussex. She grew up in Brighton, East Sussex. As a child she wanted to be a veterinarian and helped at the local veterinary surgery. When she was 16 William Castle was holding a contest to cast girls as the daughters of diplomats in his film 13 Frightened Girls. Alexandra Bastedo was one of the girls selected and made her film debut as "Alex" (the daughter of the diplomat from England) in the film, which was released in 1963.

In the Sixties Miss Bastedo made guest appearances on several television shows. She made her debut on television in the show The Flying Swan (which starred Margaret Lockwood and her daughter Julia) in 1965. During the decade she went onto guest star on such shows as R3, The Man Who Never Was, The Scales of Justice, The Saint, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), and From a Bird's Eye View. From 1968 to 1969 she appeared as Sharron Macready in The Champions. While only one series of the show was made, it would prove quite successful outside the United Kingdom and United States, and has since developed a large cult following in both the UK and the U.S. She was also a regular on the short lived series Codename. In the Sixties Alexandra Bastedo also appeared in such films as The Liquidator (1965), Doctor in Clover (1966), That Riviera Touch (1966), Casino Royale (1967), I Can't... I Can't (1969), Tibetana (1970), and A Promise of Bed (1970).

In the Seventies she was a regular on the television series The Aphrodite Inheritance. She guest starred on such shows as Jason King, The Adventurer, Suspicion, Men of Affairs, and Witness to Yesterday. She appeared in such films as La novia ensangrentada (1972), Odio mi cuerpo (1974), The Ghoul (1975), Tu dios y mi infierno (1976), Find the Lady (1976), and Estigma (1980).

In the Eighties Alexandra Bastedo semi-retired from acting. From the Eighties to the Naughts she guest starred on the shows The Agatha Christie Hour, Boon, Absolutely Fabulous, and EastEnders. She appeared in the American TV film Draw. She also appeared in the films A Choice of Two (1981) and Batman Begins (2005). Following her acting career Miss Bastedo returned to animal welfare. She was president of her local branch of the RSPCA for a time before founding the ABC Animal Sanctuary in West Chiltington, West Sussex. By the year 2000 the ABC Animal Sanctuary housed over 180 abandoned animals of various species.

The first thing anyone would notice about Alexandra Bastedo is that she was incredibly beautiful. What they might not realise at first notice is that she was actually a very talented actress.  She gave consistently good performances as Sharron Macready on The Champions. She also did a fine job of playing Mireille, a countess who may not be everything she seems in the episode of  The Saint "The Counterfeit Countess".  Over the years she played a vampire (La novia ensangrenta), an Italian in the midst of family feud (in the From a Bird's Eye View episode "The Sicilian Affair"), and Lucrezia Borgia (in an episode of Witness to Yesterday). She proved she had a gift for comedy in her guest appearance in the Absolutely Fabulous episode "Fat", playing Eddy's still slender and youthful rival Penny Capar-Morse.

Of course, Alexandra Bastedo was more than an actress. Through the ABC Animal Sanctuary and other activities over the years she saved hundreds of abandoned animals. She was also active in several other animal rights organisations.  The first thing anyone might have noticed about Alexandra Bastedo may have been her beauty, but she was so much more than that.

Will Facebook Go the Way of Myspace?

To many Facebook may seem nearly unstoppable. For nearly the past six years it has been the top social media site in the world. While truly accurate figures are not available, Facebook claims an estimated 1.26 billion users. In any given month 30 billion posts (status updates, photos, links, videos, et. al.) are made. While all of this sounds impressive, it is worth noting that at one time another social network also seemed nearly unstoppable. Founded in 2004, by 2005 Myspace was the top social media site in the world. It would retain that position until it was overtaken by Facebook in April 2008. Since then Myspace has steadily declined. In fact, it not only has fewer users than Facebook, but it also has fewer users than Google+, Twitter, and even LinkedIn. The question is whether what happened to Myspace can also happen to Facebook.

Today there are those who behave as if Myspace's decline happened all at once. In fact, its decline actually took place over several years. It must also be pointed out that it was not a simple case of people preferring Facebook over Myspace. Over the course of a number of years Myspace made a number of missteps that would lead to its decline. In fact, had it not been for these missteps, it seems fully possible that Facebook may have never overtaken Myspace.

One of the first missteps Myspace made was redesigning the site. Starting in 2007 Myspace began making frequent changes to its home page, Myspace Music, and even its profiles. Many of these changes were unpopular with users and many complained that Myspace's pages were simply too cluttered. One noticeable effect of all these changes on the part of many users was that Myspace loaded very slowly when compared to other web sites. With unpopular changes to the site's layout and slow load times it should be little wonder users would desert Myspace for the cleaner, faster loading Facebook.

Complicating all of this was a $900 million, three year deal for advertising that Myspace signed with Google. Arguably it was not the deal itself that killed Myspace as much as the way the social network handled the ads. Over time Myspace added more and more ads, often in awkward places on the screen. The end result was that an already cluttered and slow loading layout was even more cluttered and even slower to load simply from the ads on the pages.  Again, it is little wonder why users would desert Myspace for Facebook.

Of course, even after Facebook overtook it as the top social network, Myspace would remain a powerhouse among social media sites. It was still visited by millions of users each day. Unfortunately, its days were numbered. Hampered by an unwieldy layout with several large ads on each page, Myspace declined until what was one the most powerful social network in the world was an also-ran in the social media world.

While it may seem inconceivable at the moment that Facebook will go the same route as Myspace, it is notable that Facebook has already made some of the same mistakes that Myspace did. Indeed, if anything else, Facebook is more notorious than Myspace ever was for making unpopular changes to the site. Between 2008 and 2011 Facebook made several changes to user profiles alone. To give one an idea of how often such changes could occur, consider the fact that Facebook introduced a new user profile in January 2011 only to introduce the original, double column Timeline in September 2011. As it turned out many, perhaps most, users despised the double column Timeline to the point that Facebook was forced to introduce the new single column version in early 2013.

While Facebook has introduced sometimes unpopular changes to user profiles, it has from time to time tried changing the news feed, this despite the fact that changes to the news feed seem to be what upsets users the most. In 2011 Facebook revamped the news feed so that it did not display posts in the traditional, reverse chronological order, but only in order of "Top Stories" as determined by Facebook's algorithm. Outrage on the part of users was so swift and immediate that Facebook was forced to change the news feed back. About the same time Facebook introduced the ticker, a stream of friends' posts in real time. The ticker proved about as popular as the changes to the news feed so that Facebook was forced to give users a way to shut it off.

One mistake Facebook has made that Myspace never did is the algorithm it uses to prioritise users' posts (at one time called EdgeRank). Despite Facebook's insistence on using the algorithm, it seems that most users do not particularly want posts from their friends or from pages they follow filtered.  Facebook has often claimed that it filters posts so as to reduce noise and give users a richer experience of the site. Given that many users do not want their content filtered at all, it should not be surprising that Facebook has been accused of using the algorithm to force pages to pay to promote their posts. Whether this accusation is true or not, many users dislike the fact that Facebook filters posts and have said so, to the point that the algorithm could be a deal breaker for many users if it begins filtering too many posts.

The one mistake Myspace made that Facebook has not yet repeated is the placement of ads. Ads have increased on Facebook over the years, but they are still small in size, generally number about four at most, and are all situated in the right sidebar. While one hears the occasional complaint about Facebook ads, it does not seem to be a concern of most users. That having been said, it soon could be. In December 2013 Facebook started rolling out video ads in news feeds to some users. Now the video ads are only 15 seconds in length and their audio is muted, but it seems likely that they will annoy users nonetheless. Of course, if Facebook goes ahead with its plans for video ads one has to wonder how long it will be before the video ads are longer than 15 seconds and the audio is not muted. In that case, it seems likely Facebook will have hammered the last nail in its coffin.

At the moment is seems to me that Facebook could survive and event thrive. Even if it is overtaken by another social network (and I think Google+ could do so at some point), I think it could remain a powerhouse in the world of social media. My reasoning is that it seems as if Facebook has largely learned its lesson. It has made no more changes to user profiles since early last year and it has made no major changes to the news feed beyond tweaking its algorithm. Provided Facebook makes no changes to profiles and news feeds, and does not add more ads to the site, it seems quite likely it could continue as it always has. It could perhaps further guarantee its survival by doing away with the algorithm or, at least, giving users more control over the filters (a "volume control" as we call it on Google+).

Unfortunately, given Facebook's history, it seems that at some point it could once more start making unpopular changes to the site. Facebook is currently testing a new layout for the news feed. If they go forward with it and it proves unpopular, and if they follow it up with unpopular changes to user profiles, Facebook could indeed go the way of Myspace. Indeed, this would especially be the case if they decided to add more ads to the site and to add video ads in particular.

Of course, if Facebook does make these mistakes and does start going into decline, like Myspace it will not happen overnight. In fact, Facebook's decline would seem likely to take longer than Myspace, given it has far more users than Myspace did at its peak. Regardless, it seems possible that by 2022 or so we could be talking about Facebook the way we now talk about Myspace.  Right now Facebok really needs to be careful of what it does and keep a careful eye on any errors that Myspace also made.

Dave Madden R.I.P.

Dave Madden, best known for playing the Partridges' manager Reuben Kincaid on The Partridge Family, died on 16 January 2014 at the age of 82. The causes were congestive heart failure and kidney failure.

Dave Madden was born on 17 December 1931 in Sarnia, Ontario. His early years were spent in  Port Huron, Michigan. Following his father's death he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was about 8 years old at the time. He attended  Indiana State Teachers College for one semester before dropping out to enlist in the United States Air Force. Following his service in the Air Force, Mr. Madden attended the University of Miami from which he graduated with a degree in communications in 1959.

Dave Madden began his entertainment career as a nightclub comic. He made his television debut in that capacity on The Merv Griffin Show in 1962. He made four appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and also appeared on The Hollywood Palace and The Joey Bishop Show. He made his acting debut as a regular on the short lived sitcom Camp Runamuck in 1965. He was a regular on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and guest starred on Bewitched. It was in 1970 that The Partridge Family debuted. Dave Madden played the Partridges' grumpy manager Reuben Kinkaid, who was always at odds with middle son Danny Partridge (played by Danny Bonaduce). The show ran for four years.

Starting in 1978 he joined the cast of Alice, playing Earl Hicks, a regular customer at Mel's Diner. He stayed with the show until it went off the air in 1985. In the Seventies he also guest starred on such shows as Love, American Style; Happy Days; Starsky and Hutch; Barney Miller; The Love Boat; Flying High; and Fantasy Island. He appeared in the television reunion movie More Wild Wild West. He provided the voice of Ram in the animated adaptation of Charlotte's Web (1973) and appeared in the film Eat My Dust (1976). 

In the Eighties he guest starred on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, Still the Beaver, and Life with Lucy. In the Nineties he did the opening narration for the show Herman's Head. He guest starred on the shows The Ben Stiller Show, Married with Children, Boy Meets World, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He also did many commercial voiceovers later in his career.

There can be little doubt that Dave Madden had a gift for creating memorable sitcom characters. According to the credits, at least, Shirley Jones and David Cassidy were supposed to be the stars of The Partridge Family. In truth, however, one has to suspect that the majority of viewers tuned into the show each week to see the verbal sparring between Dave Madden as Reuben Kinkaid and Danny Bonaduce as Danny Partridge. Arguably it was this that made the show. He was also memorable as Earl Hicks on Alice. Earl was a basketball coach and also a bit of a know it all, even offering legal advice to Mel in one episode. Although he was not one of the stars of the show, Dave Madden definitely played one of the show's most memorable characters. Few actors are fortunate enough to be a regular on one hit show. Such was Dave Madden's talent that he was a regular on two shows and guest starred on many others.

Godspeed Roger Lloyd-Pack

Roger Lloyd-Pack, known for his roles in such shows as Only Fools and Horses and The Vicar of Dibley, died on 15 January 2014 from pancreatic cancer.

Roger Lloyd-Pack was born in Islington, London on 9 February 1944. His father was actor Charles Lloyd Pack, who appeared in several Hammer films (Dracula and Quatermass 2 among them) and TV shows from The Avengers to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). He attended a preparatory school called St. David's and then Bedales School in Hampshire. It was while he was at Bedales that he became interested in acting. He trained in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

He made his television debut in 1965 in a bit part in The Avengers episode "The Town of No Return". In the Sixties he also appeared on the television programmes Virgin of the Secret Service, Crime Buster, and Roads to Freedom.. He made his film debut in an uncredited bit part in Secret Ceremony (1968). In the Sixties he also appeared in the films The Magus (1968), Hamlet (1969), The Go-Between (1970), and Figures in a Landscape (1970).

In the Seventies Roger Lloyd-Pack was a regular on the television shows Spyder's Web and Life of Shakespeare. He guest starred on such shows as Jason King, Special Branch, The Protectors, Crown Court, Dixon of Dock Green, and The Professionals. He appeared in such as films Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Fright (1971). The Man Who Couldn't Get Enough (1974), Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Cuba (1979), and Bloody Kids (1979).

It was in the Eighties that he was cast in the role of  Trigger on the long running show Only Fools and Horses. He played the role until its final series in 2003, appearing in nearly every episode.  He was a also regular on the TV shows Miracles Take Longer, Moving, and Byker Grove. He guest starred on such shows as Private Schulz, I Thought You'd Gone, Summer Season, Inspector Morse, Ten Great Writers of the Modern World, and Mr. Bean. He appeared in the films as Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Meat (1990), and The Misadventures of Mr. Wilt (1990).

In the Nineties he was a regular on the shows The Vicar of Dibley, The Gravy Train Goes East and Health and Efficiency He appeared in television adaptations of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling and Oliver Twist. He guest starred on such shows as Zorro, The Chief, Boon, and Lovejoy. He appeared in the films American Friends (1991), The Object of Beauty (1991), The Trial (1993), Princess Caraboo (1994), Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995), Van Gogh's Ear (1997), and Preaching to the Perverted (1997).

In the Naughts Mr. Lloyd-Pack was the star of The Old Guys and had a recurring role on The Bill. He guest starred on the shows Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes, Born and Bred, Where the Heart Is, Doc Martin, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Doctor Who, The Catherine Tate Show, and Survivors. He appeared in such films as Vanity Fair (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), The Living and the Dead (2006), The Good Men of Leicester (2010), and Made in Dagenham (2010).

In the Teens he had a recurring role on the TV show The Borgias. He guest starred on the TV shows Hustle and Inspector George Gently. He appeared in the films Rough & Ready I (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), In Love with Alma Cogan (2011), and 47 Orchard Street (2012). He appeared as farmer Owen Newitt of The Vicar of Dibley one last time for Comic Relief last year.

Roger Lloyd-Pack was a remarkable actor. While he was quite good in dramas, I think it can safely be said that he had a special gift when it came to comedy. Both his timing and his delivery were impeccable. What is more, he did not simply play one type of character when it came to comedy. The three characters for which he is best known are very different from each other. Tom on The Old Guys was a relic of the Sixties who couldn't accept he had grown old. Owen Newitt on The Vicar of Dibley was a coarse, dirty, and at times barbaric farmer (it would be hard seeing Tom gassing badgers--Owen brags about it). Trigger on Only Fools and Horses was a dim witted road sweeper who was generally considered the village idiot. Mr Lloyd-Pack was great in all three roles, each of which was very different from the other.

Of course, he was also a great dramatic actor. He did impressive turns in guest appearances on such shows as Poirot, Inspector Morse, and Doctor Who (where he played the villain in the two part episode "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel"). He was also a veteran of the stage, who appeared in productions of Shakespeare plays among other things. Mr. Lloyd-Pack was an incredible actor. While he may be best known as Trigger, he played so many other  memorable characters over the  years and played all of them well.