"Because of You" by Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, one of the last and greatest crooners, died yesterday at the age of 96. In tribute to him I then thought I would share what was both his debut single and his first no. 1 hit. "Because of You" was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson in 1940. The first recording of it was by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra, who recorded it on December 12 1940. The song did fairly well, ranking no. 95 for the year 1941.

Tony Bennett recorded his cover of "Because of You" on April 4 1951. Percy Faith did the orchestral backing for Mr. Bennett's version of the song. "Because of You" by Tony Bennett proved to be a massive hit, reaching no. 1 on the Billboard chart and remaining at no. 1 for 10 weeks. It is easy to see why it was such a huge hit. While it was Tony Bennett's first single, on the record he already sounds like an accomplished singer. His rich, expressive baritone is already apparent in his version of "Because of You."

Tony Bennett continued to perform "Because of You" for the rest of his life, and it was part of his repertoire even in his final concerts. According to Tony Bennett's team, he was still singing at his piano the day before he died. The final song he sang was "Because of You."

The Late Great Tony Bennett

Legendary crooner Tony Bennett died today, July 21 2023, at the age of 96. In February 2021 he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Tony Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3 1926 in New York City in Long Island City in Queens. He took to singing when he was very young, and he was only 10 years old when he performed "Marching Along Together" at the opening of the Triborough Bridge, standing beside then New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. His father died when he was only 10, but had an enormous impact on young Tony, giving him both a love of art and literature and a sense of compassion. Tony Bennett attended P.S. 141 and the School of Industrial Art, but had to drop out when he was 16 years old to help make a living for his family as a singing waiter.

Tony Bennett was drafted into the  U.S. Army in 1944. While in the Army he took part in the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau. He would eventually be assigned to Special Services where he sang with a band until he was discharged in 1946. After his service he returned to New York City where he studied singing at the American Theatre Wing on the G.I. Bill. He worked as an elevator operator and sang in nightclubs under the name Joe Bari.

It was in 1949 that Bob Hope saw him open for Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village. Mr. Hope asked Tony Bennett to be his opening act at the  Paramount Theatre in Times Square. It was Bob Hope he suggest that he change his stage name, maintaining "Joe Bari" was not a very good pseudonym. He told Mr. Hope that his given name was Anthony Bennedetto. It was then that Bob Hope decided he should be "Tony Bennett."

In 1950 Tony Bennett was signed to Columbia Records by the legendary Mitch Miller. His first single, "Because of You," was also his first hit. It went to no. 1 on the Billboard singles chart in 1951. Throughout the Fifties he had several more hits, including "Cold, Cold Heart," "Rags to Riches," and "Stranger in Paradise." His first studio album, Because of You, was released in 1952.

The Sixties saw Tony Bennett have fewer hits on the Billboard Hot 100, largely because of the British Invasion and the growth of rock music. He still regularly hit the Adult Contemporary chart throughout the decade. It was in 1962 that his signature song, his version of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," was released. It peaked at no. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, but spent around a year on various other charts. His 1962 album featuring the song went to no. 5 on the Billboard album chart.

Unfortunately, as the Sixties progressed and into the Seventies, Tony Bennett struggled to maintain his career. None of his songs charted on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade and only a few charted on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. By the end of the Seventies, he did not have a recording contract nor did he have a manager. Fortunately, his career began to rebound in the Eighties. He once more had a recording contract and his first album in years, 1986's The Art of Excellence, went to no. 160 on the Billboard album chart. In 1986 the song "Life in a Looking Glass," which he performed, from the movie That's Life! (1986), was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song.

It was in the late Eighties and early Nineties that Tony Bennett's comeback continued and he began to attract younger fans. He appeared on several television shows, including Late Night with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Muppets Tonight, and several different MTV shows. He even voiced himself on The Simpsons. Once more, his albums regularly charted on the Billboard album chart. He sang duets with several contemporary artists, including k.d. lang, Billy Joel, Michael Bu Bublé, Amy Winehouse, and, most famously, Lady Gaga. Tony Bennett continued to perform until 2021, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His final album, with Lady Gaga, Love for Sale, was released on September 30 2021. In total, Tony Bennett released 61 studio albums, 11 live albums, and 83 singles. He won 20 different Grammy Awards.

In addition to his many appearances on variety shows and talk shows throughout his career, Tony Bennett also took some acting roles. He made his acting debut as Cousin Stephen on an episode of The Danny Thomas Show in 1959. He also guest starred on the shows 77 Sunset Strip and Evening Shade. He guest starred as himself on numerous shows, including The Doris Day Show, Remington Steele, Cybill, Suddenly Susan, Cosby, Entourage, Blue Bloods, 30 Rock, and The Simpsons. He played himself in the mini-series King. He also appeared in the movies The Oscar (1966), The Scout (1994), Analyse This (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014).

Tony Bennett also wrote and co-wrote several books. He also painted under his given name Anthony Bennedetto. His artwork was displayed in galleries around the world, and he has paintings that are parts of the permanent collections of various museums around the world.

In addition to being a talented singer, Tony Bennett was also an activist. He was outraged by the treatment of fellow music artists such as Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington, who were often not allowed in hotels or even concert hall dining rooms due to their race. When his friend Harry Belafonte asked him to join him in the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s protest march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, he eagerly accepted. At the Stars for Freedom rally that took place in Montgomery, he performed for those who had marched alongside such artists as Joan Baez, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Pete Seeger, and many others. He later participated in the boycott of apartheid South Africa and performed for Nelson Mandela when he made his first visit to Britain as South Africa's president. For his work with the Civil Rights movement, Tony Bennett was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta.

If Tony Bennett saw so much success and had such a long career, it is because he was such an talented singer. He had a rich baritone and could sing songs with a diversity of emotions, from sad ballads to more upbeat, happy songs. His voice was also powerful. At various concerts over the years he would sing one song without a microphone and was still able to be heard at the back of the room. In 1965 Frank Sinatra himself said in an interview with Life magazine, "For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He's the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more." It is little wonder that his popularity cut across several generations. Of course, he was also a truly great man, given his service in the United States Army and his dedication to the Civil Rights Movement. Tony Bennett was one of a kind, and we will never see his like again.

I Support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA

It was on May 2 2023 that the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike as part of a dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). It was on July 14 2023 that the WGA was joined by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The WGA last went into strike during 2007 and 2008. For SAG-AFTRA it has been even longer. The last time they had a major strike was in 1980 This is the first time since 1960 that both the writers and actors unions have been on strike at the same time.

There are many reasons the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have gone on strike, but foremost among them are higher pay and better residuals. Sadly, I have heard some people complain about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike because they think all Hollywood writers and actors are rich. Now this might be true of top stars like Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio, and top writers like Terry Rossio and David Knoepp, but it is not true of the average actor or writer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, the average actor makes $27.73 an hour. That is far below the average hourly wage in California of $36.70. On top of that, one also has to take into account other factors impacting actors as well. First, many actors have agents and managers who receive a percentage of their pay, reducing the money they make even more. Second, because of the nature of their work, actors can go without a job for periods of time. Third, because the film and television industry is primarily based in California, many actors live and work there, where the cost of living is much higher than other parts of the country.

Like the average actor, the average writer is not paid particularly well by the film and television industry either. According to ZipRecruiter, the average pay for television writers is s $22.53 per hour, which, like actors, is below the average hourly wage in California of $36.70. Movie writers are paid a little better than either television writers or actors, but they still only make an average of  $38.77 per hour, only slightly above California's average hourly wage. The plain truth is that many of the people complaining about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA being on strike probably make more than the average writer or actor in Hollywood.

As to residuals, I suspect they are not particularly good for the average writer and I know that they are not good for the average actor. My dear, late friend Vanessa Marquez, who played Ana Delgado on Stand and Deliver (1988) and Nurse Wendy Goldman on ER, once told me that she had received residual cheques as low as a few cents. Despite starring in a classic movie and a hit television show, both of which have been shown regularly since their original releases, Vanessa never made a lot of money from residuals. Jennifer Anniston might make millions of dollars in residuals from Friends. Actors with recurring roles on the show will make much, much less and bit players will get no residuals at all.

The amount of money paid to the average writer and actor can be contrasted with what the CEOs of the studios make. David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery, who I believe many would agree is not a good CEO, made $39.3 million in 2022. Bob Bakish of Paramount Global made $32 million in 2022. Bob Iger, the head of Disney, can expect to earn $27 million this year. Not only is this more money than the average writer or actor makes, but it is more money than most of us can expect to make in a lifetime. Of course, what is really scary is that the CEOs of the various studios actually make less than CEOs in other industries.

Of course, much of the concern of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA goes beyond the average writer's and actor's meagre pay. Quite simply, they worry about being replaced. Artificial intelligence has been in the news of late, and both unions have their concerns about AI. The WGA's concern is that producers will use AI to create source material and write or re-write scripts. The WGA then wants strict regulations regarding the use of AI. As to SAG-AFTRA, they also have their own concerns about AI. Allegedly the AMPTP proposed that bit players could work for a day and afterwards their images could be generated by AI. According to the AMPTP, the bit players would have to give their consent and if their image generated by AI is used later they would be paid a "minimum wage."  Naturally, SAG-AFTRA rejected such an idea outright. Of course, my thought is that no writer or actor should ever be replaced by AI. Given it doesn't really take talent to do their jobs, I could see where CEOs could be...

Bob Iger of Disney called the WGA and SAG-AFTRA's demands "not realistic." Well, I hope Mr. Iger reads this, because as a fan who pays his salary through watching movies and television shows, I think their demands are both realistic and reasonable. After all, when I pay for a ticket for a movie or watch a movie on a streaming service, I want my money to go to the writers and actors who made it, not an overpaid CEO who has little to no artistic input into movies and TV shows. The plain truth is that throughout the history of Hollywood, the average writer and actor has made very little in the way of money, often barely to live on. The plain truth is also that historically the studios have made money hand over fist. In 2022 alone studio revenue was more than $220 billion. It is time some of that wealth went to the people who actually make movies.

Godspeed Jane Birkin

Actress, singer, and Sixties style icon Jane Birkin died on July 16 2023 at the age of 76.

Jane Birkin was born on December 14 1946 in Marleybone, London. Her mother was Judy Campbell, an actress best known for her work in the theatre. Her father, David Birkin, was a British Naval officer. She grew up in Chelsea. Birkin attended Miss Ironside's School in Kensington and  Upper Chine School on the Isle of Wight.

Jane Birkin made her film debut in an uncredited role in The Knack...and How to Get It in 1965. She had a brief, but notable nude scene in Blowup (1967). In the Sixties she also appeared in the films The Idol (1966), Kaleidoscope (1966), Wonderwall (1968), La piscine (1969), Slogan (1969), Les chemins de Katmandou (1969), Sex Power (1970), Alba pagana (1970), Cannabis (1970), and Trop petit mon ami (1970). She made her television debut in 1967 in an episode of Armchair Theatre.

In the Seventies she appeared in the films Devetnaest djevojaka i jedan mornar (1971), Romansa konjokradice (1971), Trop jolies pour être honnêtes (1972), Don Juan ou Si Don Juan était une femme... (1973), La morte negli occhi del gatto (1973), Projection privée (1973), Le mouton enragé (1974, Dark Places (1974), Comment réussir... quand on est con et pleurnichard (1974), La moutarde me monte au nez (1974), Sérieux comme le plaisir (1975), La course à l'échalote (1975), Catherine et Cie (1975), 7 morts sur ordonnance (1975), Je t'aime moi non plus (1976), Le diable au coeur (1976), Bruciati da cocente passione (1976), L'animal (1977), Death on the Nile (1978), Au bout du bout du banc (1979), Melancholy Baby (1979), La miel (1979), and Egon Schiele - Exzesse (1980). She appeared on television in the TV movie Melody and the mini-series Les Maudits Rois Fainéants.

In the Eighties Jane Birkin appeared in the movies La fille prodigue (1981), Rends-moi la clé! (1981), Evil Under the Sun (1982), Nestor Burma, détective de choc (1982), Circulez y a rien à voir! (1983), L'ami de Vincent (1983), Le garde du corps (1984), La pirate (1984), L'amour par terre (1984), Dust (1985), Le neveu de Beethoven (1985), Leave All Fair (1985), Le neveu de Beethoven (1986), Soigne ta droite (1987), Comédie! (1987), Kung-fu master! (1988), Jane B. par Agnès V. (1988), and Daddy Nostalgie (1990). On television she appeared on the TV series Médecins des hommes.

In the Nineties she appeared on television in the mini-series Red Fox and the TV movie Cinderella. She appeared in the movies La Belle Noiseuse (1991), Divertimento (1992), Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma (1995), Noir comme le souvenir (1995), On connaît la chanson (1997), A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998), and The Last September (1999).

In the Naughts Jane Birkin appeared in the movies Ceci est mon corps (2001), Reines d'un jour (2001), Merci Docteur Rey (2002), Mariées mais pas trop (2003), La tête de maman (2007), Boxes (2007), 36 vues du Pic Saint Loup (2009), and Thelma, Louise et Chantal (2010). In the Teens she appeared in the movies Si tu meurs, je te tue (2011), Venuto al mondo (2012), and Quai d'Orsay (2013). She appeared on the TV miniseries Les Saisons meurtrières.

Jane Birkin also had a recording career. In 1969 her controversial and sexually explicit duet with Serge Gainsbourg,  "Je t'aime... moi non plus," was released. An album of the same title was released the same year. From 1973 to 2020 Jane Birkin would release twelve studio albums and six live albums.

Throughout her career, Jane Birkin played a variety of roles. Two of them were in adaptations of Agatha Christie novels. In Death on the Nile she played the bitter maid Louise Bourget, whose own actions lead her to become the movie's second murder victim. In Evil Under the Sun she played the villainous Christine Redfern. Her role in the horror movie Dark Places was very different from those two, that of the ill-fated governess Alta. In Wonderwall she played Penny Lane, a photographer's model who becomes the object of obsession of scientist Oscar Collins (Jack MacGowran). In La piscine she played 18 year old Penelope (Miss Birkin was 22 at the time), a character who was equal pats awkwardness and calm. Jane Birkin was an enormous talent and capable of playing a wide variety of roles.

Silent Sundays at the Academy Museum

Harold Lloyd dangling
from a a clock in Safety Last!

Nearly from the beginning of Turner Classic Movies in 1994, silent movies have aired on the channel on Silent Sunday Nights. Since 2019 Silent Sunday Nights has been hosted by Professor Jacqueline Stewart, who is also Academy Museum Director and President. Beginning on July 23 2023 the Academy Museum will be showing silent movies every Sunday at 2:00 PM Pacific. Silent Sundays will showcase movies ranging from well-known, American classics to forgotten films to classics from across the world.

It was during the Silent Era that the language of cinema evolved, so that movies made during the era still have an influence on movies made today. Sadly according to a study conducted by the Library of Congress in 2013, 75% of the movies made in the Silent Era have been irrevocably lost. Both Turner Classic Movies and the Academy Museum are dedicated to shining a spotlight on silent movies as an important part of cinema history.

Below are the upcoming movies being shown for Silent Sundays.

July 23, 2023--Earth (1930) at the Ted Mann Theater: Also known by its original Ukrainian title Zemlya, Earth was directed by legendary Ukrainian director Oleksandr Dovzhenko. The film focuses on the process of collectivization during the Soviet Union's first Five-Year Plan and its impact on farmers. Earth was banned by Soviet authorities only nine days after it was released and various scenes were cut from the film. It was not until 2012 that the film was fully restored. Earth at the Academy Museum will feature a new soundtrack created by Luke Corradine by order of the UFACE association.

July 30 2023--Fanchon the Cricket (1915) with Rosita (1923) at the Ted Mann Theater: This is is a double feature starring Mary Pickford. Fanchon the Cricket is notable as being the only movie in which all three Pickford siblings appear (Mary, Lottie, and Jack). Fanchon the Cricket was long thought to be lost when a copy was discovered at the Cinémathèque Française. Rosita stars Mary Pickford as a street singer in Seville who catches the eye of the King of Spain. It is notable as the first Hollywood film made by director Ernst Lubitsch. Rosita was restored in 2016. Both films will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 6 2023--Flesh and the Devil (1926) at the Ted Mann Theater: Flesh and the Devil is the film that made Greta Garbo an international star. She plays opposite John Gilbert, then at the height of his career. Greta Garbo and John Gilbert's chemistry was such that the two actors made three more movies together. They would also have an off-screen romance. Flesh and the Devil will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 13 2023--Tokyo Chorus (1931) at the Ted Mann Theater: Its original Japanese title is Tōkyō no kōrasu. Tokyo Chorus was directed by legendary director  Yasujirō Ozu. Amazingly enough, it would not be released in the United States until 1982. The film has much in common with the classic silent The Crowd (1928) in that it focuses on common people. Themes related to everyday life would continue to appear in Ozu's films for the entirety of his career. The movie will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 20 2023--The Racket (1928) at the Ted Mann Theater: The Racket is an early and influential gangster movie directed by Lewis Milestone. The movie proved controversial in Chicago because of its portrayal of corrupt police and government officials, and was banned in the city for a time. Regardless, The Racket was nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Picture at the 1929 Academy Awards. The Racket was thought to be lost until a copy was found in Howard Hughes's personal collection. It was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016. The film will include live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla.

August 27 2023--Safety Last! (1923) at the David Geffen Theater: This is a 100th anniversary showing of one of the most famous and most popular silent movies of all time.Safety Last! stars Harold Lloyd as the Boy, who moves to the city to "make good," only to experience misfortune as things go from bad to worse. The scene of Harold Lloyd hanging from a large clock is still one of the most famous images from silent cinema.

For information on tickets, visit the Academy Museum's page on Silent Sundays. The Academy Museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

The 90th Anniversary of Popeye Cartoons

Scene from "Popeye the Sailor" (1933)

It was 90 years ago on this date, on June 14 1933, that the animated theatrical short "Popeye the Sailor" was released. Having first appeared in the comic strip Thimble Theatre, "Popeye the Sailor" marked the film debut of Popeye, as well as his love interest Olive Oyl and his rival Bluto. "Popeye the Sailor" would launch an entire series of Popeye theatrical cartoons that lasted until 1957.

Popeye first appeared in the comic strip Thimble Theatre by E.C. Segar on January 17 1929. At the time Thimble Theatre was almost ten years old, having debuted on December 19 1919. In the beginning the comic strip centred on a character named Ham Gravy and his girlfriend Olive Oyl. Thimble Theatre was known for its sometimes lengthy storylines, in which some characters would appear never to be used again. Popeye was one of these characters who was meant to appear for only one storyline. As it turned out, Popeye became so popular that the character was brought back only five weeks after his first appearance. Popeye was given a larger role in Thimble Theatre until eventually he was the comic strip's central character. He replaced Ham Gravy as Olive Oyl's love interest, and Ham Gravy left the comic strip, last appearing on May 12 1930.

With Popeye as its new lead character, Thimble Theatre became not only one of King Features' most popular comic strips, but one of the most popular comic strips in the United States. With the success of Thimble Theatre and the popularity of Popeye, it was then natural that in November 1932 that King Features entered into an agreement with Fleischer Studios, to produce a series of cartoons starring Popeye and the other characters from Thimble Theatre. Fleischer Studios, run by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, had already seen a good deal of success in animation. During the Silent Era they had produced the popular Out of the Inkwell series of cartoons. It was in 1930 that they introduced their most successful original character, Betty Boop. Starting in 1926, the Fleischer cartoons were distributed by Paramount Pictures.

While the very first Popeye cartoon, "Popeye the Sailor" starred Popeye and Betty Boop only had a brief cameo, it was officially counted as part of the Betty Boop series. The first official cartoon in the series was "I Yam What I Yam," released on September 29 1933. As to "Popeye the Sailor," its plot was fairly simple, with Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive Oyl, this time in a carnival setting. The theatrical short not only marked the film debuts of Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto, but also introduced the song "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man," written by Sammy Lerner. The opening theme of the first few cartoons was a variation of the song "Strike Up the Band (Here Comes a Sailor)," written in 1900 by Andrew B. Sterling and Charles B. Ward. It had earlier been used in the 1930 Fleischer Studios Screen Songs animated short "Strike Up the Band." After the first few theatrical shorts, an instrumental version of "The Sailor's Hornpipe" served as the first part of the opening theme, which would segue into "I'm Popeye The Sailor Man."

In "Popeye the Sailor," Billy Costello voiced Popeye, Bonnie Poe voiced Olive Oyl, and William Pennell voiced Bluto. Mae Questrel, the actor now most associated with Olive Oyl, first voiced the character in the third cartoon, "I Eats My Spinach," although Betty Poe would still voice Olive Oyl in some cartoons until 1935. Mae Questrel continued to provide voices for Fleischer Studios cartoons until 1938, when the Fleischer Brothers moved their studio from New York City to Miami. She returned to voicing Olive Oyl in 1944 after Paramount had taken over Fleischer Studios, renamed it Famous Studios, and moved everything back to New York City. As to Billy Costello, after 25 cartoons he was fired by Fleischer Studios. As the popularity of the Popeye cartoons grew, Billy Costello began to demand more money and even time off during recording sessions. He was replaced by Jack Mercer, an animator with a gift for imitating voices. Jack Mercer continued to voice Popeye until 1957 when production on the cartoons ended. Both Jack Mercer and Mae Questrel would provide voices for the series of made-for-television Popeye cartoons produced between 1960 and 1962. Jack Mercer would also voice Popeye for the 1978 Saturday morning cartoon The All-New Popeye Hour.

Eventually other characters from Thimble Theatre beyond Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto would appear in the Popeye theatrical cartoons. Hamburger loving J. Wellington Wimpy first appeared in the second cartoon, "I Yam What I Yam." Swee' Pea first appeared in the 1936 cartoon "Little Swee' Pea." Eugene the Jeep first appeared in the 1938 cartoon "Popeye With the Jeep." The Goons would only appear once in the series of animated theatrical shorts, in the 1938 cartoon "Goonland."

The Popeye cartoons proved to be phenomenally popular. Popeye was the undisputed star of the Fleischer Studios cartoons by 1936. As the 1930s progressed, Popeye became the most popular animated cartoon character in the country, surpassing Disney's Mickey Mouse. Fleischer Studios even created a "Popeye Club," in which for 10 cents members would receive a Popeye kazoo, a membership card, and other items. Popeye would continue to be the most popular animated character even as the Thirties came to a close.

During the Thirties, Fleischer Studios would produce three Popeye Colour Features. These cartoons differed from other Popeye cartoons not only in that they were in colour (at the time the Popeye series was still in black-and-white), but that they were also longer, ranging in length from 16 to 21 minutes. The first of the Popeye Colour Features, "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindband the Sailor," was released on November 27 1936 and was nominated for the 1936 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons. The second, "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves," was released on November 26, 1937. The third and final Colour Feature, "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp," was released on April 7 1939. It was the longest of the Colour Features at 21 minutes in length.

It was in May 1937 that conditions at Fleischer Studios resulted in a strike that lasted for five months. It was partly due to the strike and to take advantage of lower corporate tax rates that Fleischer Studios moved to Miami, Florida in September 1938. Production of Popeye theatrical shorts continued unabated, but some have detected differences between the cartoons produced in New York City and the ones later produced in Miami. The colours in the cartoons were brighter after the move to Miami, but the artwork was also less detailed.

Despite the success of the Popeye cartoons and later the Superman cartoons, Fleischer Studios were financially in trouble for much of its history. In 1937 Paramount Studio loaned Max and Dave Fleischer the money to build a bigger studio, the goal being to produce animated features with which to compete with Disney. Neither Gulliver's Travels (1939) nor Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941) proved to be overwhelming successes at the box office. Short of money, the Fleischers continually looked to Paramount for more loans. Finally, on May 24 1941, Paramount took over Fleischer Studios, renaming the company Famous Studios. Eventually Paramount also moved production back to New York City. The Fleischers themselves remained in control of production until the end of 1941. The first Popeye cartoon released by Famous Studios was "You're a Sap, Jap," on August 7 1942.

One change that would be made in the character of Popeye even as Fleischer Studios was coming to an end was a change in what Popeye wore. Originally wearing the sailor suit he wore in Thimble Theatre, in "The Mighty Navy," released on October 14 1941, Popeye joined the Navy and began wearing a U.S. Naval uniform. Afterwards, Popeye would appear in his original sailor suit in only two more cartoons: "Popeye Makes a Movie" (released on August 11 1950) and "Big Bad Sindbad" (released on December 12 1952). "Big Bad Sindbad" mostly reused footage from the 1935 Colour Feature "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor."

With the exception of the three Colour Features, Popeye cartoons were produced in black and white until 1943. It was with "Her Honour the Mare," released on November 2 1943, that the series began being shot in colour. While "Her Honour the Mare" and other cartoons in the mid-Forties were produced using Technicolor, some cartoons in the series in the late Forties used such cheaper colour processes as Cinecolor and Polacolor.

Most of the animators with Fleischer Studios remained with Famous Studios, although there would be noticeable changes in the cartoons from when the Fleischers were in charge. While production values remained high for much of the Forties, many feel that the Popeye cartoons produced by Famous Studios lacked the creativity of the entries produced by Fleischer Studios. The plots of the theatrical shorts became more formulaic, as did the gags in the cartoons. Matters would grow worse in the 1950s, when Paramount downsized the staff of Famous Studios and the budgets for the Popeye cartoons and other theatrical shorts were cut. Some of the cartoons from the Fifties would even reuse footage from earlier cartoons (an example from above being "Big Bad Sindband" reusing footage from "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindband the Sailor"). It was in 1956 that Famous Studios was renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios. Production on the Popeye cartoons would continue for one more year, with the final short, "Spooky Swabs," released on August 9 1957.

It was in June 1956 that Paramount sold the Popeye theatrical shorts to television distributor Associated Artists Productions. The Popeye theatrical shorts proved to be phenomenally successful on television, so much so that in 1960 King Features commissioned a new series of animated shorts made for television. These new made-for-TV cartoons would also prove to be a hit. It was in 1958 that United Artists bought Associated Artists Productions. In turn, United Artists would merge with MGM in 1981. In 1986 Ted Turner bought MGM/UA. He then sold it back to Kirk Kerkorian, but retained ownership of the MGM/UA library, including the Popeye theatrical shorts. The Popeye cartoons would air on Ted Turner's channels, such as TBS and the Cartoon Network. Turner Entertainment was acquired by Time Warner in 1996. It was in 2019 that Turner Classic Movies began airing the Popeye theatrical shorts, and they still air on the channel to this day. MeTV also shows the Popeye theatrical shorts, both on their weekday series Toon In With Me and on their Saturday morning series Popeye and Pals.

Lasting for 24 years, the Popeye theatrical shorts proved to be among the most successful theatrical cartoons of all time.Much of this was perhaps due to the high quality of the Fleischer cartoons, which featured superior animation and a great deal of creativity when it came to stories Already a popular comic strip character, the theatrical cartoons propelled Popeye to even greater heights. He ultimately became one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world.

The 100th Anniversary of the Hollywood Sign

Perhaps no landmark is as identified with Hollywood and even the City of Los Angeles as a whole as the Hollywood Sign. Set atop the southern slope of Mount Lee in the Santa Monica Mountains, it is visible throughout much of Los Angeles County. It is often used in establishing shots in movies and television shows to indicate they are set in Hollywood or Los Angeles in general. It has appeared in movies from Down Three Dark Streets (1954) to Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood (2019). There is some uncertainty as to the exact date when the Hollywood Sign was dedicated, but legend has it that it was on July 13 1923. If that is the case, then the Hollywood Sign turns 100 today. Regardless, it is fairly certain that 2023 is the year of its 100th anniversary.

The Hollywood Sign originated as a promotion for a new housing development. It was in the early 1920s that Eli P. Clark and Moses Sherman, both Southern California railroad tycoons, in partnership with Harry Chandler, publisher of The Los Angeles Times, and real estate developers Tracy E. Shoults and Sidney H. Woodruff, set out to develop a new hillside community called "Hollywoodland." In order to advertise the new housing development, they contracted the Crescent Sign Company to build a sign reading "HOLLYWOODLAND" in 50 foot block letters. The original sign was made of wood and sheet metal. It's not known who exactly came up with the idea of the sign. And, as mentioned above, we aren't even certain of the date when it was dedicated. According to the Hollywood Sign Trust, the sign was completed in December 1923. It is known that the total cost of the Hollywoodland sign was $21,000 (which would be $372,516.80 today).  Originally it was lit by some 4000 electric lights, which may well have made it the largest electric sign in the world at the time.

The Hollywood Sign was meant to only stand for 18 months, which makes the fact that some version of  it is still standing 100 years later all the more remarkable. It certainly outlasted the group behind the Hollywoodland development. The Great Depression was not a good time for real estate development, and the syndicate behind Hollywoodland was dissolved in 1933. Moses Sherman's company, the M.H. Sherman Company, then took over ownership of the sign. Given how much it cost to light the sign, not to mention maintain it, the M.H. Sherman Company discontinued maintenance on the Hollywood Sign that year.

As it was, it was only a year earlier that the Hollywood Sign had been the site of a tragedy. On September 15 1932, actress Peg Entwistle used a workman's ladder to climb to the top of the "H" on the sign and jump to her death. A hiker discovered her body two days later. A suicide note was found in her purse.There have been claims that Peg Entwistle's suicide immediately made the Hollywood Sign a symbol of the dark side of the film industry, but this does not seem to be the case. It would be many years before the Hollywood Sign would become a symbol of Hollywood, the City of Los Angeles, and the American film industry in general, let alone a symbol of its dark side. Leo Braudy, author of  The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon, pointed out that the idea of Peg Entwistle's suicide as a tragic, but critical moment in the history of the sign did not emerge until the 1970s when the story of her death was revived because of renewed interest in the Hollywood Sign and its history.

Sadly, after the M.H. Sherman Company stopped maintaining the Hollywoodland Sign, it began to deteriorate. High winds took down the sign's second "O" in September 1936. It would lose two more letters over the next two and a half years In 1944 the "H" in the sign was taken down by high winds, although at the time The Los Angeles Times considered vandals could also have been responsible and an urban legend would persist that caretaker Albert Kothe had crashed into the sign while driving his car drunk (given how steep Mount Lee's southern slope is, I think this story can be discounted).

By 1947 the Hollywood Sign was in such a sorry state that the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission wanted it torn down. Local people protested the possible demolition of the sign and eventually the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped in to save it. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered into a contract with the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Commission to repair the sign. It was then in September 1949 that the sign was restored and the final four letters, spelling "LAND" were removed so that it referred to the area and not a long defunct housing development. From that time forward, it has read "HOLLYWOOD."

It was in 1973 that the Hollywood Sign was declared a cultural landmark by the Los Angeles heritage commission. Unfortunately, being made of wood and sheet metal, it would continue to deteriorate. A severe windstorm on February 10, 1978 damaged the first "O" so that it now looked more like a "U." The third "O" collapsed entirely. A campaign to save the sign then replaced the old sign with a new version consisting of 44 foot high letters made of steel. It was unveiled on November 11 1978. Since then the Hollywood Sign has been refurbished from time to time. In 2005 it was repainted. It was repainted again this very year, just in time for its 100th anniversary.

Over the years the Hollywood Sign would fall victim to pranksters. On New Year's Day of 1976, art student Danny Finegood draped pieces of fabric over the letters of the sign so it read "HOLLYWEED." In 2017 artist Zachary Cole Fernandez repeated Danny Finegood's prank. More recently, pranksters made the sign read "Hollyboob" in 2021. Last year many were angered (myself included) when, following the Los Angeles Ram's victory in the Super Bowl, the City of Los of Angeles itself tried making the sign read "Rams' House." In 1987 Fox Broadcasting paid to have the sign altered to read "Fox" as promotion for their new network. I don't know if that generated any anger on the part of those who love the sign or not, but it would not surprise me if it did.

Of course, the Hollywood Sign has appeared in a number of movies and television shows over the years, so many that it would be exceedingly difficult to list them all. It played a central role in the classic film noir Down Three Dark Streets (1954), with the film's climax taking place at the Hollywood Sign. It was also central to the plot of the 2001 movie The Hollywood Sign. In the disaster movie Earthquake (1978), the sign topples down as the quake takes place. In Superman (1978), another earthquake took out the Hollywood Sign. In 1941 (1979) pilot Wild Bill Kelso fired upon the sign. In The Rocketeer (1991), while operating the film's jet pack, villain Neville Sinclar (Timothy Dalton) knocks down the last four letters of the Hollywoodland Sign so that it now reads "HOLLYWOOD." As mentioned above, it is often used in establishing shots, so that it has appeared in such movies as Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), Predator 2 (1990), and Mulholland Drive (2001). It has appeared on such television shows as Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Beverly Hills 90120.

While the Hollywood Sign is beloved by film buffs all over the world, as well as Los Angelenos, I have a very personal connection to it. It was on July 29 2019 the ashes of actress Vanessa Marquez were scattered atop Mount Lee at the Hollywood Sign, as per her request, by her mother, a few of her friends, and myself. Like most classic film buffs, Vanessa loved classic movies, Hollywood, and the Hollywood Sign.

Essentially constructed as an advertisement and subject to neglect over many years, the Hollywood Sign has become a symbol of not only of the film industry, but of the art of cinema itself. It ceased long ago to belong to the neighbourhood of Hollywood or even the City of Los Angeles. It belongs to  anyone who loves film and loves the place where films are made. It would be difficult to find an greater symbol of the American film industry.