The Late Great Robert Osborne

Among American classic movie fans, Robert Osborne was a superstar. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a more beloved figure in the American classic movie community. He was the original host of Turner Classic Movies and for its first nine years its only host. For twenty three years Robert not only introduced movies on the channel, but also served as the host at the TCM Classic Film Festival and the TCM Classic Cruise. Quite simply, he was the face of Turner Classic Movies, more essential to the channel than its logo or any other branding. It is difficult to think of TCM without Robert, so it should come as no surprise that today is a day of sorrow for American classic movie fans. Sadly, Robert Osborne died today, March 6 2017, at the age of 84.

Robert Osborne was born in Colfax, Washington on May 3 1932. His love of movies began in the small, farming community. He went to the cinema regularly, and eventually began working at both of the town's theatres, The Rose and The Roxy. He attended the University of Washington, where he majored in journalism. While at the University of Washington he spent a good deal of time in the library, going through twenty years' worth of The New York Times and taking notes on the movies that had been playing at theatres there. After graduating from the university he spent two years in the United States Air Force.

After leaving the Air Force, Robert Osborne pursued a career in acting. He made his television debut in a small role in an episode of the Western anthology Death Valley Days in 1954. Robert appeared opposite Jane Darwell (perhaps best known for her role in The Grapes of Wrath) in a regional production of Night Must Fall in Seattle. It was Jane Darwell who convinced Robert to pursue his acting career in Los Angeles rather than New York City. Miss Darwell let him stay in her home in San Fernando Valley, and he received a six month contract with 20th Century Fox. He guest starred on the TV show The Californians.

After meeting Lucille Ball, Robert Osborne signed with Desilu and studied acting under Miss Ball as part of the Desilu Workshop. Over the next several years he guest starred on the shows Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Whirlybirds, and Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. He had small, uncredited parts in the movies Psycho (1960), Spartacus (1960), and Twenty Plus Two (1961). He appeared on the ABC soap opera The Young Marrieds. Robert had a significant role in the pilot for The Beverly Hillbillies, "The Clampetts Strike Oil". There had been talk of his part being a recurring role on the show, but Robert turned it down with the thought that The Beverly Hillbillies would not be a success. He also appeared in commercials for such diverse products as Falstaff Beer, Carling Black Label Beer, Folgers Coffee, and John Hancock insurance.

It was Lucille Ball who suggested that Robert Osborne leave acting to pursue a career in writing instead. His first book, Academy Awards Illustrated, was published in 1965.  It was followed by Hollywood Legends: The Life and Films of Humphrey Bogart and Greta Garbo in 1967.  In 1971 the first Academy Awards Oscar Annual by Robert Osborne was published. A new edition would be published each year until 1976. It was in September 1977 that he went to work for The Hollywood Reporter, writing reviews. In April 1983 he began writing The Hollywood Reporter's " Rambling Reporter" column. He continued to do so until June 2009.

Even in the Seventies Robert Osborne was considered an expert on classic film, so quite naturally the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences asked him to write the official history of the Oscars. 50 Golden Years of Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards was published in 1978. It would be regularly updated over the years, with the latest edition being 85 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards, published in 2013.

It was in 1982 that Robert Osborne began working as an entertainment reporter for KTTV in Los Angeles. In 1984 he started a stint as a host on The Movie Channel. In 1987 he served as a contributor on CBS's breakfast television show The Morning Program.

It was in in the Nineties that Robert Osborne received an offer from American Movie Classics (now simply AMC) to become their afternoon host once his contract with the Movie Channel expired. He turned them down to accept an offer from a brand new cable channel, Turner Classic Movies. His decision was based on the vast film library that Turner Broadcasting owned, including MGM's pre-May 1986 library. It was on April 14 1994 that Robert Osborne introduced the very first movie aired on TCM, Gone With the Wind (1939).

Robert Osborne became the face of Turner Classic Movies. He did much more than introduce movies on the channel, although that would have been enough to endear him to fans. He was the host of both The Essentials and Private Screenings. He hosted a number of special programmes on TCM.  Robert also hosted the first many Turner Classic Movie Classic Film Festivals as well as the TCM Classic Cruises. He wrote articles for TCM's Now Playing guide.

Beyond TCM, Robert Osborne also took part in the Paley Centre for Media's salutes to Lucille Ball and Cloris Leachman. In 2006 he began serving as celebrity greeter on the red carpet at the Academy Awards. He served as the host of Walt Disney World's The Great Movie Ride, also providing narration during the ride.

There can be no doubt that Turner Classic Movies owes a good deal of its success to Robert Osborne. In fact, there is perhaps no other broadcast network or cable channel that has been so identified with a single personality. Robert Osborne had an encyclopaedic knowledge of movies that was perfectly suited to a cable channel dedicated to classic films. He also had an innate charm that was easily captured on camera. Robert could relay the most obscure film arcana without sounding boring or pedantic. Perhaps most importantly, his great enthusiasm for movies was readily visible on screen. Robert Osborne seemed much less like the great film historian that he was than a fan with an incredible wealth of knowledge about cinema.

Indeed, today many Turner Classic Movies fans have expressed the feeling that they have lost a close friend or dear uncle, one who would tell them wonderful stories about the movies. To a degree that could be contributed to the illusion of familiarity that is created by seeing someone on television on a regular basis. That having been said, I do not think that explains why so many of us are grieving over Robert Osborne so much. Quite simply, we had a connection with Robert Osborne that we had with almost no other celebrities. Quite simply, we shared a love of classic movies. Indeed, at the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival and elsewhere, Robert Osborne was always open and friendly with his fans. From more than one person I have heard that he was warm and congenial, and he spoke as if he had known one his entire life. Even if it was the first time one ever met Robert Osborne, he or she could be guaranteed a warm greeting. For Robert Osborne, every fellow classic film buff was a friend.

In many ways Robert Osborne was the perfect ambassador for classic movies. It was not simply that he was enthusiastic about classic movies or even that he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of them. It was that he was quite simply a really nice guy. In his tribute to Robert Osborne in The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Mankiewicz tells how those who worked at TCM with Robert adored him. While one occasionally hears horror stories about big TV stars, one never heard any such stories about Robert Osborne. He was a true gentleman, a man without pretension who treated everyone with respect and kindness. It should be little wonder that he is being mourned so by movie stars, his co-workers, and his fans alike. Robert Osborne was one of a kind.

Theresa Harris: Much More Than a Maid

The average person probably would not recognise Theresa Harris's name, but if they have watched even a few classic films chances are good that they have seen her. Theresa Harris appeared in close to a hundred films from 1929 to 1958. Among the films in which she appeared were such classics as Horse Feathers (1932), The Women (1939), and Miracle on 34th Street (1947). She was beautiful, shapely, petite, and blessed with a mellifluous voice. Had she been born in a later era she may well have been a major star. Unfortunately Miss Harris was born at a time when opportunities for African American actresses were extremely limited. She spent much of her career playing small, often uncredited roles, many of them maids.

While she would spend much of her career playing maids, Theresa Harris had an impressive debut in the film Thunderbolt in 1929. Playing an uncredited role as a singer at the Black Cat Cafe, she sang "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home" in a slinky, shimmering dress. Here was Theresa Harris, beautiful, glamorous, and possessed of an incredible voice. In another time and place, the scene could well have launched Miss Harris as a superstar.

That is not to say that Theresa Harris did not get other chances to shine. Indeed, particularly during the Pre-Code Era she had the opportunity to play some memorable roles. What might be her among her most famous roles is Chico, the friend of Lily Powers (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in Baby Face (1933).  While Theresa Harris's name appears rather low in the credits, she has a rather major role in the film, as well as a good deal of screen time. Chico is Lily's friend, confidant, and "partner in crime", and Lily treats her as an equal. As Lily literally sleeps her way to the top, Chico takes the role of Lily's maid. Even then Lily does not treat Chico as a subordinate. Quite simply, Chico wasn't Lily's maid, she was her friend helping her keep up the illusion of class and wealth for Lily's upper class acquaintances. Chico is funny, practical, and charming. What is more, she gets to display her vocal talent, singing "St. Louis Blues" as she works in the film.

Before Baby Face Theresa Harris got to play another remarkable role in Hold Your Man (1933). In the film the main character, Ruby Adams (played by Jean Harlow) is sent to a reformatory where she meets Lily Mae Crippen, played by Theresa Harris. It was apparently Lily Mae's father, a preacher, who sent her to the reformatory. The other inmates inform Ruby that Lily Mae used to pass around the collection plate at her father's church "and that ain't all."

Even when Theresa Harris played maids they were different from the many other African American domestics seen in films during the Golden Age, and not simply because Miss Harris resembled Janelle Monáe more than Beulah. Theresa Harris insisted that she speak without dialect, and often she would not even wear a maid's cap. In Professional Sweetheart (1933) Miss Harris played Vera, the maid of Glory Eden (played by Ginger Rogers). After work Vera goes dancing and to night clubs in Harlem, telling Glory all the fun she has when she is not working. What is more, Vera has a good deal of talent. Glory is the "Purity Girl" on the radio show The Ippsie Wippsie Hour. When Glory temporarily leaves the programme, it is Vera who takes her place as the "Purity Girl". Once more we get to hear Theresa Harris's dulcet voice.

Theresa Harris would continue to play some interesting roles beyond the Pre-Code Era. In fact, for many she may be most familiar as Rochester's girlfriend Josephine in the Jack Benny and Eddie Anderson movies Buck Benny Rides Again (1940) and Love Thy Neighbour (1940). In Buck Benny Rides Again Theresa Harris and Eddie Anderson performed the duet "My, My", going through several different dance forms in doing so. In Love Thy Neighbour Theresa Harris performed another duet with Eddie Anderson, "Dearest, Dearest". She also appeared with Eddie Anderson in the film What's Buzzin', Cousin? (1943), in which Rochester appears without Jack Benny. While Theresa Harris once more played Rochester's girlfriend, this time around she is called "Blossom" rather than "Josephine". In What's Buzzin', Cousin? she once more gets to show off her vocal talents, singing "Ain't That Just Like a Man?".

Theresa Harris was not only apparently a favourite of Jack Benny and Eddie Anderson, but also Val Lewton. She appeared in two of Val Lewton's classic horror movies. She had a small, but memorable role in Cat People (1942) as the sarcastic waitress Minnie. She had a somewhat larger role in I Walked with a Zombie (1943) as Alma, the maid to  Betsy Connell (played by Frances Dee). While Alma was yet another role as a maid, she was very atypical of maids in the Golden Age of Hollywood (as most of Theresa Harris's maid roles were) and she played an important role in the plot.

Theresa Harris also had small, but very significant roles in Tell No Tales (1939) and Out of the Past (1947). In Tell No Tales she played Ruby, the widow of a man who had been murdered, and had a very powerful scene at the murder victim's funeral with Michael Cassidy (played by Melvyn Douglas).  In Out of the Past she played Eunice Leonard, a woman in a Harlem jazz club who is questioned by Jeff Bailey (played by Robert Mitchum).

In 1937 Theresa Harris had the rare opportunity to play the female lead. It was in the race film Bargain With Bullets (AKA Gangsters on the Loose). She played the radio star Grace Foster, whose childhood friend Mugsey Moore (played by Ralph Cooper) has become a gangster. Bargain With Bullets was made by Million Dollar Productions, a company owned by Ralph Cooper and founded with the goal of making films with African American casts. They would make ten more films before closing in 1942. Sadly, Bargain With Bullets is believed to be lost.

Theresa Harris's last film was The Gift of Love in 1958. Afterwards she retired from acting. She died on October 8 1985 at the age of78.

Only rarely was Theresa Harris given the chance to play something other than a maid. Even when she played maids, she insisted that they not be stereotypes. She did not speak with a dialect and always insured her maid characters had personalities all their own. Theresa Harris was understandably frustrated with the roles Hollywood chose to give her. In an article in the August 28 1937 issue of The Afro American, she complained, "I never had a chance to rise above the role of maid in Hollywood movies. My colour was against me anyway you looked at it. The fact that I was not 'hot' stamped me as either uppity or relegated me to the eternal role of stooge or servant. I can sing but so can hundreds of other girls. My ambition is to be an actress. Hollywood had no parts for me." In an article in the September 11 1952 issue of Jet, she was quoted as having said that she thought she was typecast as maids because "...she has not been properly exploited."

Certainly, Theresa Harris could play much more than maids. She could both sing and dance very well. She was as adept at playing drama as she was comedy. She was beautiful and shapely. In a later era her talent would have made her a major star and her looks would have made her a sex symbol. Sadly, during the Golden Age of Hollywood opportunities for black actors were so limited that even an actress of Theresa Harris's calibre had difficulty finding good parts

The Oscars 2017

I wasn't planning on writing a post about the 89th Annual Academy Awards today. This year I saw none of the films nominated for Best Picture and the past many years I have not been particularly impressed by the hosts or the presenters. It is true I could always gripe about the In Memoriam segment (and I will here in a bit), but that doesn't seem to me to be enough to justify a blog post. As it turns out, a rather singular event happened last night that actually gave me something to write about.

I assume most of you know what I am talking about. Quite simply, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, in honour of the 50th anniversary of Bonnie and Clyde, were to present the award for Best Picture. Unfortunately,  Warren Beatty was handed the envelope for the winner of the Best Actress award. Mr. Beatty was quite naturally puzzled by what he was reading, so he showed the card to Faye Dunaway. Miss Dunaway then announced La La Land. The cast and crew of La La Land then went to the stage only to learn moments later that the Oscar for Best Picture had actually gone to Moonlight.

For those of you wondering how this could happen, there are always two duplicate envelopes on either side of the stage. This is done partly to keep the awards ceremony running smoothly and partly as a safety precaution. While Emma Stone kept one envelope that named her as the winner of Best Actress for La La Land, apparently the other envelope that listed her as the winner found its way into Warren Beatty's hands instead of one of the envelopes for Best Picture. When Faye Dunaway saw the card saying "La La Land", she quite naturally read it.

What is all the more surprising is that out of the 89 Academy Award ceremonies, something like this has only happened once before. At the 36th Annual Academy Awards Sammy Davis Jr. presented the Oscar for Best Adaptation or Treatment Score. Unfortunately, he was handed the wrong envelope and he announced John Addison for Tom Jones instead of André Previn for Irma la Douce. It was immediately realised an error had been made as Tom Jones was not even nominated in the category (instead it had been nominated for Best Original Score). Given the large number of awards given at the Oscars over 89 different ceremonies, it is surprising that this sort of thing has not happened more times.

As to the rest of the ceremony, I have to say that I am happy that the Academy included more of its history this year. Before each of the acting categories they featured clips of past winners, many dating back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Various presenters also discussed various movies that had an impact on them and then presented an award with one of the actors from those films (for example, Charlise Theron discussed The Apartment and then presented the award for Best Foreign Language Film with Shirley MacLaine). Given the past many years it has sometimes seemed as if the Academy thought that no movies were made before 1980, this was most welcome.

Unfortunately the emphasis on film history does not seem to have extended to the In Memoriam. Once more the Academy left out several well known actors. The most glaring omission may have been Robert Vaughn. Best known for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Magnificent Seven,  he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Young Philadelphians. Also omitted were screen legends Gloria DeHaven and Barbara Hale (who was a bona fide movie star before she was Della Street on Perry Mason). Bernard Fox, Alan Young, Hugh O'Brian, Doris Roberts, Burt Kwouk, and David Huddleston were among the many others who were omitted.  All of these actors appeared in films and all of them were worthy of being mentioned in the In Memoriam segment.

Aside from the sheer number of people omitted this year, the In Memoriam segment had one huge gaffe. Included in the In Memoriam segment was Australian costume designer Janet Patterson.  Unfortunately, the photo was not of Janet Patterson, but of Australian producer Jan Chapman instead. Jan Chapman was quite naturally upset, in a large part because she was friends with Janet Patterson.

Like most Oscar ceremonies, last night's Academy Awards ran fairly long  I do think it could have been shorter. My problem is that there was a good deal of material that could have been cut. There was absolutely no need for a prank, which took up several minutes, in which tourists on a tour bus were taken to the Dolby Theatre. There was also no need for a popular segment from Jimmy Kimmel's show, "Mean Tweets". While comedy bits during the Academy Awards can be amusing (even though the whole tour bus thing wasn't), my own thought is that they take away time from more important things, such as the In Memoriam. In the time they wasted on unfunny comedy bits, they could have added several minutes to the In Memoriam segment!

A complaint about last year's Oscars is that they were not diverse enough. This year's Oscars was a bit more diverse, with black actors nominated in every category and a black director in the Best Director category. Unfortunately, Hollywood still has a ways to go with regards to diversity. Dev Patel was the only person of South Asian descent nominated in an acting category. There was no one of East Asian descent nominated in any of the acting categories. The sad fact is that the film industry still does not give individuals of South Asian, East Asian, Hispanic, or Native American descent much in the way of roles in films.

Ultimately I cannot say that this year's Oscars were any better or any worse (well, other than the Best Picture and In Memoriam errors) than those of the past few years. I do appreciate that they tried to incorporate more film history in last night's ceremony. That having been said, I do think they have a ways to go as far as improving the ceremony. The In Memoriam segment should be longer and more inclusive. When they are leaving out people of such stature as Robert Vaughn, Barbara Hale, and David Huddleston, they are clearly not devoting much time or attention to the segment.They should also cut out the comedy bits. This is the Academy Awards, not some late night talk show. I do expect some comedy from the host (let's face it, Bob Hope hosted more Oscars than anyone), but skits that run on for minutes should not be allowed. In the end, the Academy Awards should be centred on film history and should remain as dignified as possible.

Godspeed Bill Paxton

Character actor Bill Paxton, who starred in such films as Weird Science (1985), Apollo 13 (1995), and Twister (1995), as well as such TV shows as Big Love and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, died yesterday at the age of 61. The cause was complications from heart surgery.

Bill Paxton was born on May 17 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas. When he was eight years old his father took him and his brother to see President John F. Kennedy at the Hotel Texas in Dallas on the morning of November 22 1963, the day that President Kennedy was assassinated. A photograph of young Bill Paxon, perched one someone's shoulders was taken on that day.

Bill Paxton's first work in film was as a set dresser on the cult classic Big Bad Mama in 1974. He also worked as a set dresser on Eat My Dust (1976) and Galaxy of Terror (1981).  His first role was an uncredited part in Crazy Mama (1975).  Mr. Paxton studied acting at New York University for two years with legendary instructor Stella Adler. He appeared in the film The Egyptian Princess, an Unfolding Fantasy (1977). He directed and starred in the video for the song "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes. He made his television debut in episodes of the show The Six O' Clock Follies.

In the early Eighties, Bill Paxton appeared in small roles in such films as Stripes (1981), Night Warning (1982), The Lords of Discipline (1983), Mortuary (1983), Streets of Fire (1984), and The Terminator (1984). As the Eighties progressed he received larger roles in such films as Weird Science (1985), Aliens (1986), Near Dark (1987), Pass the Ammo (1988), The Roommate (1989), Next of Kin (1989), Navy Seals (1990), and Predator 2 (1990). He guest starred on such shows as Fresno, Miami Vice, and The Hitchhiker.

In 1992 Mr. Paxton played his first lead role in One False Move. He also had lead roles in Trespass (1992), Monolith (1993), Frank & Jesse (1995), Twister (1996), Traveller  (1997), A Simple Plan (1998), Mighty Joe Young (1998), and  U-571 (2000). He had major roles in such films as The Dark Backward (1991),  Boxing Helena (1993), Tombstone (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), The Evening Star (1996), Titanic (1997), and Vertical Limit (2000). He appeared on the TV show Tales From the Crypt.

For much of the Naughts he starred on the HBO TV series Big Love. He also guest starred on the sitcom Fraiser. He appeared in such films as Frailty (2001), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Resistance (2003), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Thunderbirds (2004), and The Good Life (2007).

In the Teens he appeared in such films as Haywire (2011), The Colony (2013), Red Wing (2013), Million Dollar Arm (2014), Nightcrawler (2014), Term Life (2016), and Mean Dreams (2016). On television he appeared on the TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the mini-series Hatfields & McCoys and Texas Rising. He is currently appearing in the TV show Training Day and is set to appear in the movie The Circle later this year.

Bill Paxton played a wide variety of roles throughout his career, from heroes to villains and everything in between. He had an everyman quality that allowed him to play nearly any part he pleased. He was a crooked used car salesman in True Lies (1994), an employee of a feed mill who stumbled upon a plane filled with money in A Simple Plan, and an Irish Traveller in Traveller. He played historical figures from time to time, including Morgan Earp in Tombstone, Frank James in Frank & Jesse, Fred Haise in Apollo 13, and Randall McCoy in The Hatfields & the McCoys. Even when the material was not particularly good, Bill Paxton always was.

Bill Paxton was also a classic movie fan, and he was particularly a fan of the great Buster Keaton. He loved Turner Classic Movies. In many respects this should perhaps not be surprising, as Mr. Paxton never behaved like a movie star even though he was one. It was not simply his fellow actors and the directors with whom he worked who said that he was one of the nicest guys one could hope to meet. Fans have said the very same thing. He may have been a talented actor, but he always behaved like an average guy.

Turner Classic Movies' Noir Alley

Yesterday Turner Classic Movies announced a new programming franchise called Noir Alley. It is going to be hosted by Eddie Muller, president and founder of the Film Noir Foundation.  Many classic film buffs are probably already familiar with Mr. Muller through his DVD commentaries for movies from Angel Face (1953) to They Live by Night (1948), as well as such books as Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir and Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir.

Noir Alley will air each Sunday at 10:00 AM Eastern/9:00 AM Central, and each week will feature a different film noir. There is also a Noir Alley Facebook page and a Noir Alley Twitter account, both of which will feature exclusive content, including videos from Eddie Muller. There will be live tweeting on March 5 through the Noir Alley Twitter account. TCM fans are encouraged to participate using the hashtag #NoirAlley (of course, if you one of the TCM Partiers, you'll want to use the hashtag #TCMParty as well).

Noir Alley gets off to a flying start on March 5 with the proto-noir classic The Maltese Falcon (1941). It will be followed by the classics Act of Violence (1948) on March 19 and Tension (1949) on March 26. The cult film Detour (1945) airs March 12.

Fans of film noir will definitely want to tune into TCM Sunday mornings.

Hulu Vs. Netflix

When it comes to streaming services, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix come to most Americans' minds. Netflix continues to be the biggest of the three, with Amazon Prime coming in second place and Hulu in third. While Netflix may be the top streaming service, that does not necessarily mean it is the best. I find I rarely use Amazon Prime myself, so for me, at least, the competition as to which is better comes down to Netflix and Hulu.

When it comes to classic television shows, I would say that Hulu definitely has an advantage over Netflix. A few weeks ago I tried finding classic sitcoms on Netflix. Ultimately, I only found three: The Andy Griffith Show, Cheers, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. While I love all three shows, I have to point out that I have seen each of their entire runs several times over and, like most Americans, I have no shortage of venues on which to watch them. This stands in stark contrast to Hulu, where there are many more classic sitcoms available. Many are shows that I have seen repeatedly and could watch on any number of TV channels: The Beverly Hillbillies; The Bob Newhart Show; Cheers; I Love Lucy; The Dick Van Dyke Show; The Golden Girls; and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. That having been said, Hulu has several classic sitcoms that one doesn't see very often on local TV stations or on the various cable channels these days: The Addams Family;Car 54, Where Are You?; The Donna Reed Show;  The Lucy Show;  McHale's Navy; Mister Ed; My Favourite Martian; The Odd Couple; Taxi; and WKRP in Cincinnati. Here I must point out that I am only listing the sitcoms on Hulu that I really like. There are many more to be seen there. Even once one goes beyond sitcoms, Hulu has more classic shows than Netflix. Netflix has Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, and Twin Peaks. Hulu has Adam-12; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Ironside; The Rockford Files; The Saint; Star Trek; and yet others. 

Both Netflix and Hulu have good selections of British TV shows. In fact, the two even share some British shows in common, including Being Human, Doc Martin, and Foyle's War. As might be expected, it is Hulu that tends to have older British shows. Among the classic British series on Hulu are Black Adder, Father Ted, The Invisible Man, Space: 1999, The Saint, Thunderbirds, and UFO. In contrast, the oldest British show on Netflix is the classic cartoon Danger Mouse. Both Netflix and Hulu also have good selections of anime series, to the point that it is difficult to say which is better. That having been said, Netflix might just have the advantage over Hulu when it comes to international television in general. A quick glance at Hulu's International section under TV reveals mostly anime and British TV shows. In contrast, Netflix has entire sections dedicated to Korean TV and Spanish-Language TV.

Of course, the past few years much has been made of Netflix's original series, and I do think Netflix may be better than Hulu in that regard. Netflix has several original series I have either enjoyed or want to see, including the various Marvel shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage), The Crown, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life; Longmire, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Stranger Things. In contrast, so far the only Hulu original that interests me is 11.22.63.

With regards to movies, neither Hulu nor Netflix have the sort of selection one might find available on the various premium channels, although they are both comparable to other streaming services, if not better. Surprisingly, Netflix would seem to have the advantage when it comes to classic films. Among the classic movies on Netflix are The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Graduate (1967), Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Steal a Million (1966), Laura (1944), Metropolis (1927), The Third Man (1949), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), among others. On the other hand, Hulu has far fewer classics, and those they do have tend to be of a more recent vintage. Hulu does have all of the Indiana Jones movies, as well as an assortment of James Bond films. They also have such classic films as American Graffiti (1973), Annie Hall (1977), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), The Long Riders (1980), Sabrina (1954), Stand by Me (1986), Theatre of Blood (1973), and This is Spinal Tap (1984), among others. Ultimately, I would say that if one wants to see movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, he or she might be better off with Netflix. If he or she prefers films of a  more recent vintage, Hulu does have a good selection of films made since the Eighties.

With regards to foreign films, I would say both Netflix and Hulu are about even. Indeed, they do share a few foreign movies in common. That having been said, I think Hulu's menu makes it easier to find what one is looking for. Quite simply, Hulu lists many films by country of origin. This makes it easy for one to find Chinese movies, Japanese movies, Korean movies, Spanish language movies, or whatever else one may be looking for. In contrast, Netflix has all of its international movies mixed together, so that on the list one may see the Spanish film Los Últimos Días (2013) right beside the Dutch film Michiel de Ruyter (2014), which may be followed by the Brazilian film Mais Forte que o Mundo: A História de José Aldo (2016).

Ultimately, I really can't say which streaming service is better. It really depends upon what one is looking for in a streaming service. If I had to choose between Netflix and Hulu, I would go with Hulu myself. While Netflix has more classic films than Hulu, I already have an extensive collection of classics on DVD, as well as access to Turner Classic Movies. What I really want out of a streaming service is access to classic TV shows that are rarely seen elsewhere. Hulu is far superior to Netflix in that regard, to the point that I suspect most classic TV buffs would cancel their Netflix subscription before they would ever cancel their Hulu subscription. In the end, I would say that if one wants original series and movies, Netflix might be the way to go. If one wants classic TV shows and movies, Hulu would be the way to go.

Matt Baker: African American Comic Book Artist

Among the most famous comic book artists to emerge during the latter half of the Golden Age of Comic Books was Matt Baker. He is particularly well known for the "good girl" art of the early part of his career, although he would ultimately work in a variety of comic book genres. In his relatively short career, Matt Baker drew superhero comic books, crime comic books, romance comic books, and Western comic books. He even worked on what might be the first graphic novel, It Rhymes with Lust (1950). What set Matt Baker apart form many comic book artists of the era is that he also happened to be black.

Contrary to popular belief, Matt Baker was not the first African American comic book artist. Given the lack of credit given artists on many Golden Age comic books it is difficult to say with any certainty who the first black comic book artist was, but it seems likely it was E. C. Stoner. E. C. Stoner was a commercial artist widely credited for shaping the appearance of  Planters mascot, Mr. Peanut. He went on to work in comic books and even worked on the very first issue of Detective Comics (March 1937). Legendary artist Alvin C. Hollingsworth began working in comic books around 1940. His first work was as an art assistant on Holyoke's Cat-Man Comics. In the mid to late Forties Andre LeBlanc and Warren Broderick were two other black artists to emerge in the comic book industry. While Matt Baker may not have been the first black comic book artist, he was certainly among the most important black artists to emerge during the Golden Age. Some might argue that he was the most important.

Matt Baker was born on December 10 1927 in Forsyth County, North Carolina. He was very young when his family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is where he spent most of his childhood. Sadly, as a child Matt Baker contracted rheumatic fever, the end result of which was that it weakened his heart. It was in 1940, not long after he had graduated high school, that Mr. Baker moved to Washington D. C. There he apparently worked for a government agency. He later moved to New York City where he took art courses at Cooper Union.

Matt Baker began his career in comic books with the Jerry Iger Studio, a comic book packager that provided material for various comic book publishers. His earliest confirmed work was pencilling and inking a 12 page "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" story in Jumbo Comics #69 (November 1944). In his early days with the Jerry Iger Studio Matt Baker spent most of his time pencilling backgrounds and female characters for other artists. He would not remain doing so for long. In Jumbo Comics #68 (October 1944) a new feature titled "Sky Girl" debuted. "Sky Girl" followed the adventures of a leggy redhead named Ginger Maguire who most often worked as a ferry pilot in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Matt Baker's gift for drawing beautiful women was already apparent early in his career, so it should come as no surprise that he was soon assigned to the feature. Mr. Baker continued to work on "Sky Girl" until Jumbo Comics #114 (August 1948).

While at the Jerry Iger Studio, Matt Baker would illustrate other female heroes for Fiction House beyond "Sky Girl".  He also worked on the feature "Tiger Girl" that appeared in Fight Comics. Tiger Girl owed a good deal to Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the only significant difference being that Tiger Girl's adventures appeared to take place in some odd blend of India and Africa. He also drew another Sheena clone for Fiction House, "Camilla",  who appeared in Jungle Comics. Matt Baker's work for Fiction House was not exclusively female characters. He drew "The Skull Squad" for Wings Comics and "Kayo Kirby" for Fight Comics.

In the late Forties Fiction House was hardly the only comic book publisher for which Matt Baker provided material. He also worked on Classic Comics #32 (December 1946), which featured that title's adaptation of Lorna Doone. What may have been his most famous (or perhaps "notorious" would be a better word) work may have been for Fox Features Syndicate. Matt Baker worked on Fox's comic book Phantom Lady. The star of the feature, the superhero known as "Phantom Lady", did not originate with Fox. Instead she had been provided by the Jerry Iger Studio as a back up feature for Quality Comics' Police Comics and appeared in the first issue of that magazine (August 1941). At Quality Comics, Phantom Lady last appeared in Police Comics #23 (October 1943). The Jerry Iger Studio, assuming that they owned the rights to the character, later took Phantom Lady to Fox. Phantom Lady made her first appearance in a Fox comic book in Phantom Lady #13 (August 1947), taking over the numbering of the title Wotalife Comics. Given his gift for drawing women, it should come as no surprise that Matt Baker was assigned to the "Phantom Lady" feature. He even redesigned her costume. A rather modest, yellow affair when she was published by Quality Comics, at Fox Features Syndicate her costume became a blue outfit that revealed considerable cleavage and included a dangerously short skirt.

It was the cover of Phantom Lady vol. 1, #17 (April 1948) that would become perhaps the most famous Matt Baker art of all time. The cover featured the buxom Phantom Lady bound to a post. This particular cover was noticed by Dr. Fredric Wertham, the notorious crusader against comic books. He included the cover in his book Seduction of the Innocent with the caption, "Sexual stimulation by combining 'headlights' with the sadist's dream of tying up a woman. ("headlights" was early Fifties slang for "breasts")." Here it should be noted that by the time Seduction of the Innocent was published in 1954, Fox Features Syndicate has been out of business for four years. The company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1950.

Matt Baker worked for other titles beyond Phantom Lady at Fox. He also illustrated Fox's jungle heroine Rulah in such titles as Rulah, Jungle Goddess and Zoot Comics.

It is unclear when Matt Baker left the Jerry Iger Studio, but it appears to have been some time in 1948 or 1949. Regardless, he would go onto work for St. John Publications. While Mr. Baker's work on Fox Features Syndicate's Phantom Lady might be more famous, arguably his best work was done at St. John. Not only did Matt Baker come into his own as an artist at St. John, but he became the publisher's most important artist. There were very few titles published by St. John that did not feature the artwork of Matt Baker at one time or another.

Matt Baker's first work at St. John Publications appears to have in titles cover dated "October 1948": Crime Reporter #2 and Northwest Mounties #1. He would go onto work on a wide variety of titles published by St. John, including Authentic Police Cases, Fightin' Marines, Flying Cadet, and The Texan. While he worked in a number of genres while at St. John, most of his work would be done on the publisher's romance titles, including Cinderella Love, Diary Stories, Pictorial Romances, Teenage Romances, True Love Pictorial, and yet others. Among his best work at St. John was on Canteen Kate, which had debuted as a feature in Fightin' Marines. Canteen Kate was a service comedy centred around the title character who ran a canteen in Korea during the Korean War. It was while at St. John that Matt Baker moved away from the "good girl" art of his early career towards a more naturalistic style. While the women he drew were still beautiful, they also looked more realistic.

What may have been Matt Baker's most important work at St. John is also what is widely regarded as the first graphic novel. Writers Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller conceived what they called "picture novels", essentially a longer, more adult format that would tell a single story. The two were able to convince publisher Archer St. John of the viability of the format, which would be published as mass market paperbacks. The very first "picture novel" was It Rhymes with Lust, which was written by Messrs. Drake and Waller.  It featured art pencilled by Matt Baker and inked by Ray Osrin. It Rhymes with Lust was definitely an adult tale that borrowed from both film noir and the pulp fiction of the day. It was followed by another "picture novel", The Case of the Winking Buddha, by writer Manning Lee Stokes and artist Charles Raab. Unfortunately neither sold well and Archer St. John cancelled plans for an entire line of picture novels.

Matt Baker not only worked in St. John Publications' line of comic books, but in its line of magazines as well. He provided all of the illustrations for the first issue of St. John's crime magazine Manhunt (January 1953). He also provided the illustrations for the first issue of St. John's men's magazine Nugget (November 1955). Unfortunately on August 13 1955 Archer St. John was found dead in a female friend's apartment. The cause seemed to be from an overdose of sleeping pills. St. John Publications stopped publishing comic books in 1957, although they continued to publish magazines well into the Sixties.

Following his years with St. John, Matt Baker became a freelancer. He worked on Dell Comics' Lassie comic books featuring the famous Collie. For Dell he also worked on Four Color #58 (October 1954), their adaptation of the movie King Richard and the Crusaders. He also did a good deal of work for Atlas Comics, the company that would evolve into the modern day Marvel Comics. Not surprisingly given his career at St. John, he provided a good deal of art for their various romance titles, including Love Romances, My Own Romance, and Teen-Age Romance. He also worked on the company's many Western titles, including Frontier Western, Quick Trigger Action, Western Outlaws, and Wild Western. While today Atlas may be best known for their various "monster" comic books, Matt Baker did very little work on those titles. He only contributed one story each to the monster titles Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish, and World of Fantasy.

Sadly, Matt Baker's weak heart would catch up with him in the end. On August 11 1959 he died of a heart attack at age 37. His last confirmed work was "I Gave Up the Man I Love!" in Atlas Comics' My Own Romance #73 (Jan. 1960).

Despite Matt Baker's importance in comic book history, very little is known about his personal life. Perhaps because he was one of the very few African Americans working in the comic book industry at the time, he did not associate with a lot of his fellow comic book artists and comic book writers. He did develop a few friendships within the industry. He was a close friend of inker Frank Giusto, who even asked him to be the best man at his wedding. While Matt Baker declined the honour, he did attend Mr. Giusto's wedding. Another close friend was fellow artist Ray Osrin. Matt Baker would take Mr. Osrin and his family for drives in his convertible. He also appears to have been close to publisher Archer St. John. They went to California together once, where they were photographed outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Matt Baker had a reputation for his fashion sense. Writer Arnold Drake described him as "the hippest dresser I had ever seen." Ray Osrin said of Mr. Baker, " I envied the way he wore clothes." According to more than one source Matt Baker was a fan of jazz. Frank Giusto said that they would listen to jazz while they were working.

While we know little of Matt Baker's personal life, we do know his impact on the art of comic books. During the Golden Age of Comic Books, much of the art was either cartoony or, at least, highly stylised. Matt Baker was among the first comic book artists to use a more realistic, more naturalistic style. Matt Baker's influence would be seen most immediately on EC Comics' titles in the early Fifties. Al Feldstein, who was an artist, editor, and writer at EC, had worked with Matt Baker. By the Sixties there would emerge several artists who used more realistic styles, including Neal Adams and John Romita. In the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties, realism would become the dominant style in superhero comic books.

Of course, beyond pioneering realism in comic book art, Matt Baker was also a pioneer in the comic book industry simply because he was one of the earliest black artists to work in the industry. We know very little about how Matt Baker was treated as one of the few African Americans in the industry at the time. That having been said, race would seem to have been the elephant in the room. Al Feldstein thought much of the reason that Matt Baker did not associate with a lot of his colleagues in the comic book industry was due to the fact that he was black. Mr. Feldstein said, "Part of Matt’s problem, I feel in retrospect, was due to a basic and despicable problem prevalent in America during the early post-war period, racial bias and racial inequality. Matt was a black man. He was a rare phenomenon in an industry almost totally dominated by white males."

While one has to suspect Matt Baker experienced racism in the comic book industry of the post-war era, his sheer talent overcame many of the obstacles being an African American presented in the industry. Matt Baker's half-brother Fred Robinson noted that Mr. Baker got considerable work in the comic book industry because of his sheer talent. Mr. Robinson said of Matt Baker, "He got it because he was good. It’s as simple as that. If you’re good, and you have what people want, they’re going to use you. You get hired. Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier mainly because he was good—he could play ball better than anyone else. He just happened to be black, and was given a hard time because of that, but the fact remains that he was still good and rose above all that." Matt Baker broke colour barriers in the comic book industry because he was an extremely talented artist. While he was not the first African American artist in the comic book industry, he was arguably the most important of the early African American artists to emerge in the Golden Age. In many respects, he was the Jackie Robinson of comic books.

(Much of the information for this article was drawn from the book Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour by Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Weathington)