The 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back

In general, sequels do not have good reputations. The majority of them are not only considered inferior to the original movies upon which they are based, but often they are considered vastly inferior. For that reason, there are very few sequels that are considered superior to their predecessors, and even in some cases it might be a matter of some debate. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is generally considered better than Frankenstein (1931), but insisting that The Godfather Part II (1974) is superior to The Godfather (1972) can result in arguments. Another sequel that is considered superior to its predecessor is Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), more simply known as The Empire Strikes Back. While there are those who will insist Star Wars (1977) is the better movie, one will find many who will insist The Empire Strikes Back is the superior of the two.

Even before Star Wars (1977) was released, George Lucas had considered the possibility of a sequel. Science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster had been hired to write a novelization of Star Wars (which was credited to George Lucas). As part of his contract he was also required to write a second novel that could provide the basis for a low-budget sequel to Star Wars (1977) provided the film did poorly at the box office. As it turned out, Star Wars (1977) not only proved to be a smash hit, but the highest grossing movie of all time at that time (it is still currently the second highest grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation, after Gone with the Wind). Given the phenomenal success of Star Wars (1977), a sequel to the movie was most assured.

It was in August 1977 that George Lucas began creating an outline for the sequel, then titled Star Wars: Chapter II. Writing the first movie had not been the most pleasant task for Mr. Lucas, so to write the sequel he hired science fiction writer Leigh Brackett in November 1977. George Lucas planned for the screenplay to be something of a collaboration between him and Miss Brackett, with Mr. Lucas providing her ideas while she did the actual writing. Story conferences for Star Wars: Chapter II began on November 28 1977. During this period George Lucas came up with several ideas for the sequel, some of which would never be used and others which would not be used until the third sequel, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).

Leigh Brackett would deliver her treatment on February 21 1978. For the most part Leigh Brackett's treatment was very similar to the film as it was finally produced, with one major difference. In the treatment the characters of Anakin Skywalker (Luke's father) and Darth Vader were still two different characters. In the treatment Anakin Skywalker appears as a Force spirit to train Luke. George Lucas was disappointed with Leigh Brackett's treatment and wanted to discuss it with her. Unfortunately, she died of cancer on March 18 1978 before he could do so.

George Lucas then wrote the next draft of the sequel by himself, drawing upon Leigh Brackett's treatment to do so. It was with this second draft that Darth Vader became established as Luke Skywalker's father, as opposed to being an entirely separate character from Anakin Skywalker. Not only would this revelation entirely change the audience's interpretation of Star Wars (1977), but it would also entirely change the direction of the Star Wars movies. It was also with this second draft that George Lucas decided that The Empire Strikes Back would be the second film in the second trilogy out of two trilogies. It was then that the movie officially became Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. As Star Wars (1977) was now the first film in that second trilogy, it became Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

The Empire Strikes Back premiered at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. on May 17 1980 as part of a benefit for the Special Olympics. It would have its premiere in the United Kingdom at the the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London on May 20 1980 as a Royal Charity Premiere. The following day, May 21 1980, it went into general release in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

It might come as some surprise given its status as a classic and a sequel considered superior by some to the original Star Wars (1977), but The Empire Strikes Back received mixed reviews. Richard Combs of The Monthly Film Bulletin gave a largely negative review, writing, "With the revelation that Lucas has such a series in mind, even the genuinely ‘fun’ elements of the first film – its comic-strip eclecticism, its movie-serial dash and narrative tropes – are pedantically filled out and institutionalised, much as the galactic landscape is by effects technology," and "That story counts for less than gimmicks, and characters less than both, might be judged from the lack of resonance in the one narrative revelation, concerning Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker." Vincent Canby of The New York Times gave The Empire Strikes Back a much more positive review, but still dismissed the movie. He wrote, "The Empire Strikes Back is not a truly terrible movie. It's a nice movie. It's not, by any means, as nice as Star Wars. It's not as fresh and funny and surprising and witty, but it is nice and inoffensive and, in a way that no one associated with it need be ashamed of, it's also silly." Gene Siskel of The Chicago Tribune gave The Empire Strikes Back a much more positive review, giving it three and a half stars and saying, "It's a nearly flawless movie of its kind." Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times and Mr. Ebert's co-host on the TV show Sneak Preview, actually included The Empire Strikes Back in his list of the Best Movies of 1980.

While reviews for The Empire Strikes Back may have been mixed, it proved to be a box office smash. In its first run it earned $181.4 million in the United States and Canada. While this was less than Star Wars (1977), it easily made it the no. 1 movie of 1980. Currently it is still the 13th highest grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation.

In the end The Empire Strikes Back would prove to be a pivotal film in both cinematic history and the history of the Star Wars franchise. Indeed, if The Empire Strikes Back had failed miserably at the box office, it is very possible that there may have been no further Star Wars movies and, quite possible, little in the way of a Star Wars franchise at all. Beyond the fact that the success or failure of the then nascent Star Wars franchise depended upon The Empire Strikes Back, the movie would have a major impact on the franchise in other ways.

Of course, the biggest of these was the revelation that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father. Although common knowledge now, it was one of the most shocking reveals in the history of cinema at the time. Furthermore, it has shaped the Star Wars franchise ever since. The first trilogy was not conceived until George Lucas decided that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father, and ultimately the first trilogy would be the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. While the third trilogy would be conceived by people other than George Lucas, the revelation of Luke Skywalker's parentage would shape it as well.

Beyond the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father, The Empire Strikes Back would introduce characters who would prove pivotal to the franchise. Chief among these was Yoda, the Jedi master who trains Luke in the movie. Yoda would not only play a central role in the second trilogy, but in the first and third trilogies, as well as Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Lando Calrissian would not be as pivotal to the Star Wars franchise as Yoda, but he would prove to be one of the franchise's most popular characters. He would be the protagonist of a series of novels and appeared in both the TV series Star Wars: Rebels and the final film of the Skywalker Saga The Rise of Skywalker. While bounty hunter Boba Fett would prove to be a popular, his impact on the Star Wars franchise would be less than either Yoda or Lando. He would appear in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and has appeared in a number of novels.

Forty years after its release, The Empire Strikes Back is regarded by many not only as being better than Star Wars (1977), but as being the best Star Wars film ever made. Even among those who do not regard it as being better than Star Wars (1977), it is still respected as one of the best films in the franchise. Certainly, without the success of The Empire Strikes Back, we would not have the Star Wars franchise as we know it.

The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

When people think of Edward G. Robinson, they are inclined to think of his roles as gangsters in such films as Little Caesar (1931) and Smart Money (1931) or his roles in such film noirs as Double Indemnity (1944), The Woman in the Window (1944), and Scarlet Street (1945). That having been said, Edward G. Robinson also made comedies, such as The Little Giant (1933), A Slight Case of Murder (1938), and Brother Orchid (1940). Among Edward G. Robinson's best comedies was The Whole Town's Talking from 1935.

The Whole Town's Talking was based on the short story "Jail Breaker" by W. R. Burnett published in Collier's in August 1932. If the name "W. R. Burnett" sounds familiar, it is because he also wrote the novel upon which the movie Little Caesar was based. Despite being adapted from source material by the same author, Little Caesar and The Whole Town's Talking are entirely different types of films. While Little Caesar is a serious gangster movie, The Whole Town's Talking is a fast paced comedy. In The Whole Town's Talking, Edward G. Robinson plays meek office clerk Arthur Ferguson Jones, who aspires to be a writer and has secret crush on his co-worker Wilhelmina Clark (played by Jean Arthur). Unfortunately for Jones, he is also a dead ringer for vicious gangster "Killer" Mannion (also played by Edward G. Robinson. When Mannion breaks out of prison, the soft-spoken Jones finds his life complicated in ways he never expected.

By 1935 Edward G. Robinson had already played several gangster roles and was not eager to play more. When he learned from his agent and gossip columnist Louella Parsons that Warner Bros. was loaning him to Columbia Pictures for The Whole Town's Talking, he was not particularly happy. It was after he read the screenplay and learned that he would be playing dual roles (the meek office clerk and the vicious gangster) that he changed his mind. The Whole's Town's Talking was directed by John Ford, who is not particularly known for his comedies. Author W. R. Burnett said that at story conferences Mr. Ford did not say anything and the author commented, "I don't even know why he took the picture." Regardless, Edward G. Robinson got along with John Ford, as well as his co-star Jean Arthur. In his autobiography All My Yesterdays, Mr. Robinson wrote of Miss Arthur, "She was whimsical without being silly, unique without being nutty, a theatrical personality who was an untheatrical person. She was a delight to work with and to know."

If John Ford seemed uninterested in The Whole Town's Talking as W. R. Burnett thought, it certainly didn't show on the screen. The Whole Town's Talking did very well at the box office, grossing $3.1 million domestically. It also received positive reviews. The New York American called the movie, "...the best thing Mr. Robinson has done since the unforgettable Little Caesar."Andre Sennwald in The New York Times wrote of the movie "Pungently written, wittily produced and topped off with a splendid dual performance by Edward G. Robinson, it may be handsomely recommended as the best of the new year's screen comedies." Variety commented that, "Robinson will derive a heap of benefits from this assignment. It hands him some dazzling moments of acting..."

The Whole Town's Talking remains not only one of Edward G. Robinson's best movies, but one of John Ford's best films as well. Easily the best thing about the movie is Edward G. Robinson's dual roles as the meek Arthur Ferguson Jones and the brutal "Killer" Mannion. In particular, his performance as Jones could well be one of the best in his career. Mr. Robinson is convincing as the office clerk with a tendency to be overly polite and vacillating. Not only does Edward G. Robinson do a good job in the film, but so do the supporting cast. Jean Arthur is great as the frank but charming Miss Clark. The script, by Jo Swerling and Robert Riskin, is a remarkable piece of work. The films moves at a good clip, with realistic complications arising from the movie's somewhat implausible premise.

The Whole Town's Talking may not be one of the best known comedies of the Thirties, but it is definitely one of the best comedies of the decade. Benefiting from bravura performances from its cast and a sterling script, it really should be seen more often than it is.

The Late Great Fred Willard

Fred Willard, the comedian and actor well known for his collaborations with Christopher Guest and numerous appearances on television, died May 15 2020 at the age of 86.

Fred Willard was born on September 18 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. His father died when he was only 12 years old. After his mother remarried, young Fred Willard was sent away to military school. He later graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and served in the United States Army. While he was in the Army he played on the baseball team and he developed an interest in radio.

Mr. Willard studied at the Showcase Theatre in Manhattan and afterwards joined comedy improvisation troupe Second City in Chicago. He formed a comedy team with Vic Grecco. The two of them performed in coffee houses and even appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Garry Moore Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Pat Boone Show. The team was successful enough that they were even offered a job on The Carol Burnett Show in 1967. Unfortunately, the team broke up. Fred Willard made his first appearance on narrative in television in an episode of the short lived sitcom Pistols 'n' Petticoats. In the late Sixties he also guest starred on the shows Hey, Landlord; Get Smart; and Love, American Style. He was a founding member of the improvisational comedy troupe the Ace Trucking Company in the late Sixties. The Ace Trucking Company were regulars on the variety show This is Tom Jones and appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He made his move debut in a 1967 in the movie Teenage Mother. In the late Sixties he also appeared in the movies Model Shop (1969) and Jenny (1970).

In the Seventies, Fred Willard was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Sirota's Court and played the regular role of talk show host Barth Gimble's sidekick Jerry Hubbard on Fernwood 2 Night and its follow-up series America 2 Night. Mr. Willard appeared as a panellist on Hollywood Squares and was a co-host on Real People. He guest starred on the shows The Barbara McNair Show (with the Ace Trucking Company), The Bob Newhart Show, Karen, Good Heavens,m Laverne & Shirley, We've Got Each Other, Tabitha, The Jim Nabors Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,. and Sweepstakes. He also appeared in the mini-series Salem's Lot. He appeared in the movies The Harrad Experiment (1973. as part of the Ace Trucking Company), Hustle (1975), Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy (1976), Silver Streak (1976), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Americathon (1979), How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), and First Family (1980).

In the Eighties Fred Willard was a regular on the short-lived show D.C. Follies. He guest starred on the shows The Love Boat, Mama's Family, SCTV Channel, Trapper John M.D., Spencer, Faerie Tale Theatre, George Burns Comedy Week, Fast Times, Fame, Out of This World, My Secret Identity, and Not Necessarily the News. He appeared in the movies Movie Madness (1982), Imps* (1983), This is Spinal Tap (1984), Moving Violations (1985), Roxanne (1987), and Portrait of a White Marriage (1988).

In the Nineties Fred Willard had recurring roles on Family Matters; Sister, Sister; Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; Roseanne; and Mad About You. He provided voices for the animated TV shows Hercurles and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. He guest starred on the shows Murder, She Wrote; The Golden Girls; Harry and the Hendersons; Nurses; Married with Children; Dream On; The Ben Stiller Show; The New WKRP in Cincinnati; The Jackie Thomas Show; Dave's World; The Mommies; Murphy Brown; Friends; Clueless; Diagnosis Murder; Step by Step; The Weird Al Show; The Wayan Brothers; Sabrina the Teenage Witch; Oh Baby; Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place; City Guys; Just Shoot Me!; G vs. E; Love & Money; Ladies Man; and The Hughleys. He was a guest voice on The Simpsons. Mr. Willard appeared in the movies High Strung (1992), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Permanent Midnight (1998), Elvis Is Alive! I Swear I Saw Him Eating Ding Dongs Outside the Piggly Wiggly's (1998), Can't Stop Dancing  (1999), Idle Hands (1999), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Dropping Out (2000), Chump Change (2000), and Best in Show (2000).

In the Nineties Fred Willard was a regular on the short-lived TV shows Maybe It's Me, A Minute with Stan Hooper, Back to You, and Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures. He had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond and was played the recurring role of Officer Brown on King of the Hill. He guest starred on the shows Bette, Ally McBeal, The Fighting Fitzgeralds, Girlfriends, Inside Schwartz, That's '70s Show, Watching Ellie, The Drew Carey Show, MADtv, Come On Over, Pushing Daisies, Free Radio, The Midnight Show, Chuck, and Glory Daze. He was a guest voice on several animated shows, including The Legend of Tarzan, Dexter's Laboratory, Family Guy, The Batman, Kim Possible, Grim & Evil, and The Boondocks. He appeared in the movies The Wedding Planner (2001), Teddy Bears' Picnic (2001), How High (2001), The Year That Trembled (2002), A Mighty Wind (2003), American Wedding (2003), Nobody Knows Anything! (2003), Killer Diller (2004), 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (2004), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Love Wrecked (2005), Date Movie (2006), Church Ball (2006), Ira & Arby (2006), For Your Consideration (2006), I'll Believe You (2006), Epic Movie (2007), Fighting Words (2007), I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007), Harold (2008), Scouts Honor (2009), Youth in Revolt (2009), School Gyrls (2009), A Very Mary Christmas (2010), and Holyman Undercover (2010). He was a voice in the animated films Chicken Little (2005), Monster House (2006), and WALL-E (2008).

In the Teens Fred Willard had recurring roles on the TV shows Versailles, Review, and Modern Family. He guest starred on the shows The Closer, In Gayle We Trust, Raising Hope, Rob, Breaking In, Hot in Cleveland, Easy to Assemble, Good Luck Charlie, Community, Family Tree, Drunk History, Good Morning Today, You'll Be Fine, Black Jesus, The Birthday Boys, The Bold and the Beautiful, Live from Lincoln Centre, Comedy Bang! Bang!, The 5th Quarter, The Odd Couple (2016), New Girl, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories, 9JKL, Corporate, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He was a recurring voice on the animated show The Loud House. He is set to appear in the TV show Space Force. Mr. Willard appeared in the movies Fred & Vinne (2011), The Magic of Belle Isle (2012), Max Rose (2013), Dealin' with Idiots (2013), The Birder (2013), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), The Yank (2014), All Stars (2014), Russell Madness (2015), Bachelors (2015), Fifty Shades of Black (2016), Here Comes Rusty (2016), Mascots (2016), Blood Type (2018), and The Bobby Roberts Project (2018).

Fred Willard was certainly prolific, with several careers both in television and in film. And he was certainly a master at improvisation, a skill he put to good use in his collaborations with Christopher Guest. While he could play a broad array of characters, Fred Willard's speciality was playing characters who were, as The New Yorker described them in a July 3 2006 article, "...gloriously out of their depth." In A Mighty Wind he played Mike LaFontaine, the folk group manager still living his glory days when he was on a now forgotten sitcom, Wha' Happened?. In Best of Show he played the none-too-bright dog show announcer Buck Laughlin, who thought Christopher Columbus captained the Mayflower and was puzzled as to why they didn't breed miniature schnauzers larger. in Waiting for Guffman he played travel agent Ron Albertson, cast in the lead of a community theatre production.

Of course, Fred Willard's career went well beyond his motion picture collaborations with Christopher Guest. He had an extensive resumé when it came to television.  On the Laverne & Shirley episode "Dog Day Blind Dates" he played Charles, Laverne's new gentleman friend who turns out to be something unexpected. On The Golden Girls episode "Dateline Miami," he played a former priest who is still a virgin and winds up on a date with the man-hungry Blanche. On the Nurses episode "Friends and Lovers" he played "Crazy Jim," a patient one of the nurses thinks is a doctor.


While Fred Willard played his share of dimwitted characters throughout this career, in reality he was a intelligent master of improvisation. And while many of his characters could be socially clueless, in reality Mr. Willard was a very kind man. In a tweet, Judd Apatow called him "...the sweetest person you could ever meet." Steve Carrell also said of Fred Willard, "He was a sweet, wonderful man." Here I must point out that it was not only celebrities who commented on Fred Willard's kindness. Fred Willard attended the TCM Classic Film Festival, among other events, and as a result I know quite a few people who have met him. All of them had the same thing to say about Mr. Willard--he was one of the kindest people one could ever meet. Fred Willard was both an incredible talent and a very nice man.

National Classic Movie Day: 6 Favourite Films from the Sixties

Today is National Classic Movie Day. Every year in honour of the day, Classic Film and TV Cafe holds a blogathon. For this year's blogathon the theme is "Six Favourite Films from the Sixties." The Sixties is my all time favourite decade when it comes to movies. For that reason, except for A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Dr. Strangelove, it was difficult to narrow down my favourites to only six. Indeed, were I to compile a list of my 100 favourite films of all time, the lion's share of them would be from the Sixties! If you were to ask me to list my six favourite films from the Sixties tomorrow, it might be totally different except for A Hard Day's Night and Dr. Strangelove!

By the way, I am treating the Sixties as taking place from 1961 to 1970. In the Gregorian calendar there was no year 0. This is why The Apartment (1960), which is my second favourite film of all time, does not appear on this list (it appeared in last year's National Classic Movie Day post, for the Fifties). While no movies from 1970 made this list, it is fully possible that they could have by my reckoning (Catch-22 numbers among my favourites).

Anyway, without further ado, here are my six favourite films from the Sixties. For simplicity's sake, I am listing them by year of release.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): To Kill a Mockingbird was the first film I saw in a theatre that would later be considered a classic. In 1973, when I was 10 years old and in third grade, we took a tour of the 4th Street Cinema, which included getting to watch a movie. At 10 years old there were parts of the plot I didn't yet understand, so I didn't quite appreciate the movie at that age. Fortunately,  I would see To Kill a Mockingbird again when I was a teen and I would realise just how truly great the movie is.  It has numbered among my favourite movies ever since.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964): I have to confess that ever since I was a kid I have had a somewhat twisted sense of humour. Of course, the Sixties produced a number of comedies that would naturally appeal to someone with a sense of humour like mine. Possibly the best black comedy the decade ever produced was Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (hereafter simply Dr. Strnagelove for brevity's sake).  Let's face it, one cannot get much darker or much more twisted than a comedy based around nuclear annihilation! The laughs come non-stop in Dr. Strangelove, with bravura performances from the entire cast.

The Great Escape (1963): When I think of the Sixties, I often think of the many epic World War II movies released during the decade. Possibly the best of the World War II epics of the Sixties is The Great Escape. Loosely based on the real life escape from German POW camp Stalag Luft III in 1944, The Great Escape details an escape from a POW camp. The Great Escape features an all-star cast including Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, James Garner, Steve McQueen, Donald Pleasence, and yet others. What is more, each and every member of the cast gives a great performance. The Great Escape is not merely an action film, but a tale of heroism with a good deal of depth to it.

A Hard Day's Night (1964): I have been a fan of The Beatles since childhood. In fact, not only cannot I remember the first time I ever heard The Beatles, but I cannot remember the first time I saw A Hard Day's Night. I am guessing it was probably when it first aired on NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies in 1967, although I cannot be certain (I would have only been four at the time). Regardless, there has never been a time that I have not loved this movie and it has always numbered among my absolute favourites. I have seen it numerous times and hosted numerous TCMParties for it on Twitter. As part of Turner Classic Movies' Fan Favourites series, I even introduced it with Ben Mankiewicz in April 2015.

The Loved One (1965): As I mentioned earlier, I have always had a twisted sense of humour, and one cannot get more twisted than The Loved One. Loosely based on Evelyn Waugh's 1948 satirical novel of the same name, the tag line for The Loved One was "the motion picture with something to offend everyone!" And that is just about true. The Loved One lampoons the American funeral industry (much as Evelyn Waugh's original novel did), Hollywood (much as Evelyn Waugh's original novel did), religion, Oedipal complexes, overeating, the rich, the military, the space programme, television, and yet more. Along with Dr. Strangelove and The President's Analyst (1967), it is among the most outrageous comedies of the Sixties.

To Sir, with Love (1967): I have a confession to make. I absolutely hated school. I simply did not like having to stay in a room all day, often studying some subjects in which  I had little interest (to this day I am not a big fan of mathematics). Strangely enough, the "inspirational teacher" genre is one of my favourite genres. Perhaps the first movie I ever saw in the genre was To Sir, with Love and, except for Stand and Deliver (1988), it is still my favourite. To Sir, with Love works on multiple levels. At its most basic level it is about a teacher trying to get students in a school in the East End of London to improve themselves. On another level it is about a black teacher facing such obstacles as racism in mid-Sixties London. On yet another level it is about the students, most of who live in poverty, and the obstacles they face. This makes To Sir, with Love among the most complex of the "inspirational teacher" movies.

The President's Analyst (1967):  Like Dr. Strangelove and The Loved One, The President's Analyst is another one of the Sixties' outrageous comedies. Released at the tail end of the Sixties spy craze, on the surface The President's Analyst is yet another spy spoof. What sets it apart from the many spy spoofs of the era is that it is also a social and political satire that sends up everything from the United States government to middle class suburbanites to, well, the phone company. In fact, the only people that seem to be treated sympathetically in the movie are either spies or hippies! The President's Analyst certainly deserves to be better known than it is.

The Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

(This post is part of The Great Ziegfeld Blogathon hosted by Hollywood Genes)

There can be no doubt that Flo Ziegfeld Jr. was one of the great showmen of the 20th Century. He was well known for his Follies, a series of spectacular revues that were staged from 1907 to 1931. In addition to the Ziegfeld Follies, he was also responsible for such shows as Sally, Rio Rita, and Show Boat. Despite his success, Flo Ziegfeld lost a good deal of money in the stock market crash of 1929. When he died in 1932 at age 65 from pleurisy, he was deeply in debt. In order to pay off these debts, in 1933 that his widow, actress Billie Burke (now best known as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz) sold the film rights to his life story to Universal Pictures. As it turned out, production of The Great Ziegfeld proved too expensive for Universal, who then sold the production, lock, stock, and barrel, to MGM. The Great Ziegfeld proved to be a huge success for MGM. In fact, it was the top film at the box office in 1936. It also won the Oscar for Best Picture. Of course, such success meant that there would be sequels.

The first sequel would not feature the character of Flo Ziegfeld Jr. at all. Instead, Ziegfeld Girl (1941) centred on three young women (played by Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner), who become Ziegfeld girls. Like The Great Ziegfeld, it used some of the numbers from the actual Ziegfeld Follies. The third and final sequel was Ziegfeld Follies (1946). In Ziegfeld Follies, Flo Ziegfeld (William Powell reprising his role from the first film) in Heaven imagines the Follies he could produce if he had MGM's roster of stars. Like the actual Ziegfeld Follies, then, the movie is a revue of unrelated comedy sketches and musical numbers. While the first two movies featured sequences that had originated with the Ziegfeld Follies, Ziegfeld Follies utilized primarily original material. Ultimately, it would be one of the most lavish and most expensive movies ever mounted by MGM.

In fact, it appears that plans were being made for Ziegfeld Follies even before the second sequel, Ziegfeld Girl, was released. In July 1939 E. Y. Yarburg and Jack McGowan submitted outlines for the movie, according to material from the Arthur Freed Collection at at the USC Cinema/Television Library. According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter from April 1943, producer Arthur Freed had begun preparations for a film that would be a Technicolor tribute to Flo Ziegfeld. Not only would a good deal of work go into Ziegfeld Follies, but that work would be performed by a veritable army of personnel. There would be thirty writers on the film (only five of which are credited), more than twenty credited performers (and many, many more uncredited) in the film, and a whole legion of composers, choreographers, and arrangers who worked on it. Ultimately, Ziegfeld Follies  would be directed by seven different men. It should prove no surprise that Ziegfeld Follies was an expensive movie to make. It ultimately cost a then staggering $3.2 million.

Shooting on Ziegfeld Follies would take place from April 10 1944 to August 18 1944, with additional shooting occurring on December 22 1944 and between January 25 and February 6 1945. While shooting had ended, Ziegfeld Follies would require an enormous amount of editing, so much so that it would not be released until 1946. Not only would the running order of the various sequences in the film be changed and changed again, several numbers would be cut from the film and then some of those numbers would be restored. Originally clocking in at 273 minutes, Ziegfeld Follies would only be 110 minutes upon its release. 

Given the amount of time it took to make and the sheer amount of money it took to make, Ziegfeld Follies was an enormous gamble for MGM. And unfortunately for the studio, it was not a gamble that paid off. Ziegfeld Follies earned $3,569,000 in the United States and Canada, and $1,775,000 outside those countries. While these are very respectable amounts, the enormous cost of Ziegfeld Follies meant that it lost $290,000 at the box office.

While Ziegfeld Follies failed at the box office in 1946, it offered audiences a chance to see nearly every major MGM star in one film and it remains beloved by fans of classic MGM musicals because of that today. As mentioned earlier, only one number was actually taken from the Ziegfeld Follies: "A Sweepstakes Ticket" featuring Fanny Brice (who also happened to be the only star to appear in the actual Follies). In "A Sweepstakes Ticket," Miss Brice played a woman whose husband had given their winning Irish Sweepstakes ticket to their landlord. The skit also featured Hume Cronyn as Miss Brice's husband and William Frawley as the landlord.

While none of the other sequences originated with the actual Ziegfeld Follies, many of them were impressive nonetheless. "The Babbit and the Bromide" would mark the first time that Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together (they danced together again briefly in That's Entertainment, Part II). The comedy sketch "When Television Comes" featured Red Skelton as a television commercial spokesman hawking "Guzzler's Gin," who gets progressively more drunk with each commercial. "The Great Lady Has An Interview" featured Judy Garland as a prestige movie star who has won Oscars, but longs to play sexy roles. 

One of the longer and certainly the most bizarre numbers is "Here's To The Girls/"Bring On the Wonderful Men." "Here's to the Girls" is sung by Fred Astaire and features a dance solo by Cyd Charisse. It is following Miss Charisse's solo that the number takes a turn towards the outré. Quite simply, we get to see Lucille Ball,,  clad in pink and cracking a whip towards a group of chorus girls dressed as panthers. It then shifts to Virginia O'Brien, singing the song "Bring On the Wonderful Men."

The longest and among the most impressive of the sequences is also one that could prove to be problematic for most modern viewers. "Limehouse Blues" features Fred Astaire as a poor Chinese labourer and Lucille Bremer as his love interest. While beautifully staged and beautifully performed, the fact remains that it is a prime example of yellowface during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

 Because of its very nature as a revue of unrelated sequences, directed by several different people at that, Ziegfeld Follies is uneven, with some sequences playing better than others. That having been said, it certainly has the most impressive cast of any MGM film, featuring Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Virginian O'Brien, and Esther Williams, among many, many others. It is also a sumptuous looking film, quite possibly the biggest spectacle ever staged by MGM. While it did poorly at the box office on its first release, it remains one of the best ways classic movie buffs can see the many stars in the MGM firmament during the Golden Age.

The Late Great Jerry Stiller

Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller, one half of the comedy team of Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara and a regular on such television shows as Joe and Sons, Tattingers, Seinfeld, and The King of Queens, died yesterday, May 11 2020, at the age of 92.

Jerry Stiller was born on June 8 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, he saw performances of both Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante in person, which inspired him to go into entertainment. He was still attending Seward Park High School in Manhattan when he started performing at the Henry Street Playhouse. During and immediately following World War II, Mr. Stiller served in the United States Army. After his service ended, he studied theatre at Syracuse University and received a bachelor's degree in Speech and Drama in 1950. Following his graduation, Jerry Stiller began working in summer stock

It was in 1953 that Jerry Stiller met Anne Meara. The two married in 1954. Jerry Stiller appeared in Off Broadway shows and made his debut on Broadway in 1954 in The Golden Apple. In the Fifties he also appeared on Broadway in Threepenny Opera, The Carefree Three, Diary of a Scoundrel, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Power and the Glory. He made his television debut in an episode of The Big Story in 1957. During the decade he also appeared on the television shows Studio One, Armstrong Circle Theatre, and Camera Three.

Jerry Stiller convinced his wife, Anne Meara, to become part of a comedy team with him, even though she had never considered comedy. She agreed because at the time work was hard to find. The two of them joined The Compass Players, the legendary comedy troupe which over the years had boasted  Theodore J. Flicker, Nichols and May, and others as members. Eventually they struck out on their own as the comedy duo of Stiller and Meara. . Among their best known routines was a whole series involving the relationship between Hershey Horowitz, a short Jewish man, and Mary Elizabeth Doyle, a tall Catholic woman, who met and fell in love. By 1961 Stiller and Meara were playing nightclubs in New York City. By 1962 they were one of the biggest comedy teams around.

Stiller and Meara appeared on the majority of variety shows and talk shows in the Sixties. They made their television debut as a comedy team on The Merv Griffin Show in 1962. Throughout the decade, Stiller and Meara appeared on such variety shows and talk shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Danny Kaye Show, Hullabaloo,  Today, The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, The Mike Douglas Show, The Skitch Henderson Show, and The Tonight Show. They provided voices for episodes of the classic Saturday morning cartoon Linus the Lion Hearted. They appeared in the film Lovers and Other Strangers (1970).  Jerry Stiller guest starred without Anne Meara on the shows Studio One, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Lamp Unto My Feet, The Defenders, General Electric Theatre, and Brenner.

Stiller and Meara continued to appear on variety shows and talk shows in the Seventies, The Kraft Music Hall, Flip, The Tonight Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and Tony Orlando and Dawn. They appeared on the game show Hollywood Squares. Stiller & Meara guest starred on the shows Love, American Style; The Courtship of Eddie's Father; The Paul Lynde Show; Time Express; and The Love Boat. They had recurring roles on Rhoda. They appeared in the film Nasty Habits (1977).  He guest starred on his wife Anne Meara's show Kate McShane. Without his wife, Jerry Stiller was a regular on the show Joe and Sons, and guest starred on Phyllis, Jerry Stilller appeared without his wife in the movies The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Airport 1975 (1974), The Ritz (1976), and Those Lips, Those Eyes (1980).

In the Eighties Stiller and Meara appeared in the unsold pilot The Stiller and Meara Show. They guest starred on the shows The Love Boat, Breakaway, Saturday Night Live, and Monsters. He guest starred on Archie Bunker's Place, on which his wife was a regular. Without Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller was a regular on the show Tattingers and guest starred on the shows Hart to Hart; Private Benjamin; Simon & Simon; Alice; Reading Rainbow; Trapper John, M.D.;The Equalizer; Tales from the Darkside; Screen Two; and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the TV movie Sweet 15. Mr. Stiller appeared in the movies Seize the Day (1986), Hot Pursuit (1987), Nadine (1987), Hairspray (1988), That's Adequate (1989), and Little Vegas (1990).

In the Nineties Stiller and Meara appeared in the films Highway to Hell (1991), Reality Bites (1994), Heavy Weights (1995), A Fish in the Bathtub (1999), The Independent (2000), and Chump Change (2000). They appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Anne Meara guest starred several times on her husband Jerry Stiller's TV show King of Queens. Without Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller played George Constanza's father Frank on Seinfeld and Arthur Spooner on King of Queens. He guest starred on L.A. Law, In the Heat of the Night, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Eddie Files, Deadly Games, Law & Order, Touched by An Angel, and The Larry Sanders Show. He was a regular voice on the animated series Teacher's Pet. He appeared in the films The Pickle (1993), Die Story von Monty Spinnerratz (1997), Stag (1997), The Deli (1997), Secret of the Andes (1998), The Suburbans (1999), and My 5 Wives (2000).

From the Teens into the Naughts, Stiller and Meara had their own TV show, Stiller and Meara. They appeared on the game show Hollywood Squares, on the show Sex and the City, and in the film Zoolander (2001), which starred their son Ben Stiller.  Without Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller continued to appear on The King of Queens. He guest starred on the shows Odd Job Jack, Mercy, and The Good Wife. He was a regular on the animated series Fish Hooks.

Stiller and Meara were one of the greatest comedy teams of the late 20th Century. It is with good reason that they were so popular in the Sixties and Seventies. Their routines focused on male and female relationships, and the similarities and differences between the sexes. Their routines were always filled with insight, but also with a good deal of humanity. Of course, even without Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller was a force to be reckoned with. As a comedian he was naturally known for his comic roles, such as Frank Constanza, Arthur Spooner, and yet others. At the same time, he could play dramatic roles. He played Police Lieutenant Patrone in The Takign of Pelham One Two Three and appeared in dramatic roles on shows from The Defenders to In the Heat of the Night. Both as one half of Stiller and Meara and as an actor on his own, Jerry Stiller will always be remembered.

The Late Great Little Richard

The word "legend" is often tossed around, but in the case of Little Richard the word actually seems inadequate. Never known for his modesty, Little Richard described himself as "the Architect of Rock 'n' Roll." Coming from someone else that could be considered hubris. Coming from Little Richard, it may have been an understatement. He fused elements of boogie woogie, rhythm and blues, and gospel to create a form of rock 'n' roll that would prove more influential than that created by many of his contemporaries. He would have an influence on such diverse acts as James Brown, Otis Redding, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Deep Purple, and Motörhead, among others. Aside from rock, Little Richard would have an influence on entire genres of music, including R&B, Soul, disco, and even rap. It would be difficult to find a man who had more influence on modern music than Little Richard. Sadly, Little Richard died today, May 9 2020, at the age of 87.

Little Richard was born Richard Penniman in Macon, Georgia on December 5 1932. He was raised in the Macon neighbourhood called Pleasant Hill. He was nicknamed "Little Richard" as a child because he was slight of build. He started singing in church when he was still a child. His earliest influences were such gospel performers as Brother Joe May, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Marion Williams. Little Richard learned to play alto saxophone and joined his school's marching band when he was in fifth grade. He attended Hudson High School in Macon. While he was in high school, he got a part-time job at Macon City Auditorium, where he sold concessions during concerts. It was at the Macon City Auditorium that he would be first paid for a performance. Sister Rosetta Tharpe heard Little Richard, then 14 years old, singing some of her songs while he was working at the auditorium. She asked him to open her show and paid him for work.

Little Richard would hang around the travelling shows that visited Macon and would sing with them. He worked with Macon's town spiritualist, Doctor Nobilio, singing to attract people to the spiritualist's show. It was on Doctor Nobilio's advice in 1949 he left home to join Dr. Hudson's Medicine Show. In the show Little Richard performed Louis Jordan's song "Caldonia." Afterwards he performed with Sugarfoot Sam's travelling show. In the show he dressed in drag as a character called "Princess LaVonne." Little Richard would perform in other travelling shows, sometimes in drag, sometimes not.

Eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia, he would visit the clubs there and was exposed to such performers as Roy Brown, B. B. King, and Billy Wright. Little Richard became friends with Billy Wright and largely patterned his look after him, with a pompadour, pencil thin moustache, and flashy clothing. It was Billy Wright who put Little Richard in touch with a local disc jockey, Zenas Sears. Zenas of WGST.  Sears recorded Little Richard at the radio station. Those recordings would ultimately result in Little Richard getting his first recording contract when he signed with RCA Victor. His first single, "Taxi Blues," was released on RCA Victor in 1951. In all, Little Richard recorded four singles for RCA Victor, none of which charted. He left RCA Victor in 1952, having been with the label for only a year.

Little Richard signed with Peacock Records in 1953. He only recorded two singles for the label, neither of which charted. It was at the suggestion of R&B singer Lloyd Price that Little Richard sign to the label he was on, Speciality Records. Little Richard's very first single for Speciality was "Tutti Frutti." The song proved to be a hit, reaching no. 21 on the Billboard singles chart and no. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart. His next single for Speciality would prove to be an even bigger hit. "Long Tall Sally" hit no. 1 on the R&B chart and no. 13 on the singles chart.

Following "Long Tall Sally," Little Richard would have a string of hits that would last from 1956 into 1958. Several of his singles reached the top forty of the Billboard singles chart and several reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B chart. Among his bigger hits were "Slippin' and Slidin'," "Rip It Up," "Ready Teddy," "The Girl Can't Help It," "Lucille," "Send Me Some Lovin'," "Jenny Jenny," "Keep A-Knockin'," and "Good Golly, Miss Molly." His first album, Here's Little Richard, went to no. 13 on the Billboard album chart. He also appeared in the movies The Girl Can't Help It (1956), Don't Knock the Rock (1956), and Mister Rock and Roll (1957) during the period.

It was during a package tour in 1957, during a package tour, that after his performance in Sydney, Australia, he saw a bright red fireball in the sky above him. He took this as a sign from God and announced that he would become a Christian minister in the middle of the tour. He enrolled at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama in order to study theology. During this period Speciality continued to release his singles. After parting with Speciality, in 1958  he formed the Little Richard Evangelistic Team to tour the country preaching.  He began singing gospel music, initially recording for End Records. In 1961 he signed a contract with Mercury Records to record gospel music.

Little Richard returned to secular music in 1961 after concert promoter Don Arden convinced him to tour Europe as his records were still selling well there. A young band from Liverpool, The Beatles, opened for Little Richard at a show at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton in October 1962. In November they opened for him at the Star-Club in Hamburg, West Germany. In 1963 he went on tour with The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, and The Rolling Stones. He also appeared on television in Britain on the show Thank Your Lucky Stars and the TV special It's Little Richard. In the Sixties he also appeared on the TV shows Shindig!, Hollywood a Go Go, Where the Action Is, Top of the Pops, Ready Stead Go!, The Pat Boone Show, Della, This is Tom Jones, The David Frost Show, The Dick Cavett Show. The Smothers Brothers Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and The Barbara McNair Show. He was a guest on the TV special 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee. In 1970 he had success with the single "Freedom Blues," which peaked at no. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 28 on the Billboard R&B chart. He appeared in the movie Catalina Caper (1967).

In the Seventies Little Richard toured on the rock and roll revival circuit. It was in 1972 that he was a headliner, along with Chuck Berry, at the London Rock and Roll Show at Wembley Stadium. He was a guest artist for such acts as Canned Heat, Joey Covington, Delaney and Bonnie, and Joe Walsh. His 1973 single "In the Middle of the Night" peaked at no. 71 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was in 1977 that he left secular music once again and returned to evangelism. Another gospel album, God's Beautiful City, was released in 1979. In the Seventies he continued to appear on television on such shows as The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, The Merv Griffin Show, American Bandstand, Soul Train, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Midnight Special, Donnie and Marie, and The Mike Douglas Show.

Little Richard would make a comeback in the Eighties. He played Orvis Goodnight in the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) and the mayor in the movie Purple People Eater (1988). He also made guest appearances on the TV shows Miami Vice and Bustin' Loose, and he was a guest voice on the animated series Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures. He appeared on such talk shows and variety shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, Solid Gold, and Soul Train. After having been either a rock 'n' roll performer or an evangelist, Little Richard finally reconciled the two, recording the Christian rock song "Great Gosh A'Mighty" for the movie Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

In the Nineties Little Richard guest starred on the TV shows Martin, Blossom, Baywatch, Columbo, Hearts Afire, Full House, One Life to Live, Night Man, The Drew Carey Show, and Sesame Street. He appeared in the movies Sunset Heat (1992), The Naked Truth (1992), The Pickle (1993), The Last Action Hero (1993), and Chairman of the Board (1998). He sang the theme song to the animated TV series The Magic School Bus. His final album, Little Richard Meets Masayoshi Takanaka, was released in 1992. He performed on tracks with other artists, including Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Jimmy Lewis, and Solomon Burke.

In the Naughts Little Richard appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was a panellist on the game show Hollywood Squares. He appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Simpsons, The Sharon Osbourne Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Larry King Live. He also maintained a busy touring schedule.

Little Richard continued to perform into the Teens. He retired in 2013 following a heart attack at the age of 81.

It is very difficult to overestimate the impact on Little Richard on rock music and popular music in general. He blended boogie woogie and rhythm and blues to create a form of rock 'n' roll that was unique at the time. He was further set apart by his powerful vocals. And while Little Richard was known for his whoops and screams on many of his rock 'n' roll songs, his voice was versatile enough that he could sing gospel and even ballads. Of course, Little Richard was further set apart by his flamboyant style. Wearing eyeliner and dressing in flashy clothes, he set the bar for rock performers to come. He once addressed Prince in an interview, "I was wearing purple before you was wearing it!" Little Richard's influence can be felt on performers as diverse as Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Prince, and yet others. His music would have an impact not only on rock, but other genres of music as well. There was no other performer like Little Richard  in the mid-Fifties and, while many have imitated him, there really hasn't been any since.