Announcing the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon

Legendary British actress Margaret Lockwood was born on September 15 1916. This September will then mark the 100th anniversary of her birth. It is for that reason that I have decided to hold the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon.

1. Posts can be on any topic related to Margaret Lockwood. One can write about one of her films, her career on stage, her television shows, or anything else related to Miss Lockwood one might wish to write about.

2. While Margaret Lockwood made several films, the sad fact is that many of them are not widely available, not even in the United Kingdom. I am then allowing duplicates. That having been said, I do not want to see every other post addressing The Lady Vanishes (1938) or The Wicked Lady (1945). While I love both films (in fact, they are my favourite films she ever made) and they are her most famous, she did make more films than those two!

3. I am not going to schedule days. I only ask that posts made on September 13, 14, or 15.

If you want to participate in the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon,  you can simply comment below or get a hold of me on Twitter at mercurie80, Google+, or at my email:  mercurie80 at gmail.com.

The Stop Button: Give Us the Moon (1944)

Caftan Woman: The Stars Look Down (1940)

The Wonderful World of Cinema: "Tribute to Margaret Lockwood"

Once Upon a Screen: The Lady Vanishes  (1938)

Crítica Retrô: Give Us the Moon (1944)

Wolffian Classic Movies Digest: The Man in Grey (1943) and The Wicked Lady (1945)

Realweegiemidget Reviews Movies, TV, Books, and More: The Slipper and the Rose (1976)

Cinema Cities: The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Night Train to Munich (1940)

The Owl Wagon: Love Story (1944)

Charters and Caldicott--"I Say Old Man!": Margaret Lockwood

Old Hollywood Films: Bedelia (1946)

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood: Bedelia (1946)

Below is a roster of participants and the topics they are covering. Come September 13 I will make a post that will include all of the posts in the blogathon.

Below are a few banners for participants in the blogathon to use (or you can always make your own):

Author Lyndsy Spence Talks About Margaret Lockwood--Queen of the Silver Screen

Margaret Lockwood

In the United Kingdom of the mid-Forties there was no more popular star than Margaret Lockwood.  She won Daily Mail National Film Awards three years in a row: one in 1946 for Most Outstanding British Actress during the War Years and one each in 1947 and 1948 for Best Film Actress. Her film The Wicked Lady (1945) remains the 9th highest grossing film in the United Kingdom for the 20th Century. In a highly successful career Margaret Lockwood starred in a number of films that remain popular today, including Bank Holiday (1938), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Night Train to Munich (1940), The Man in Grey (1943),  and Cast a Dark Shadow (1955). Margaret Lockwood not only continues to be a very popular actress in Britain, but in the United States, Canada, and Australia as well.

September 15 2016 will mark the centennial of Margaret Lockwood's birth. Just in time for that event is a new biography about Margaret Lockwood, written by Lyndsy Spence.  Margaret Lockwood--Queen of the Silver Screen is set to be published by Fantom Films on July 11 2016. Lyndsy Spence is the author of The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life and Mrs Guinness: The Rise and Fall of Diana Mitford.  Her book The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne is set for release on November 7 2016. Miss Spence has written for everything from The Lady Magazine to BBC Magazine. She also happens to be one of Margaret Lockwood's biggest fans and runs the Margaret Lockwood Society. Following is an interview with Lyndsy Spence regarding Margaret Lockwood--Queen of the Silver Screen.

At least here in the United States, most people discover Margaret Lockwood through The Lady Vanishes or The Wicked Lady. What was the first Margaret Lockwood movie you saw and what impressed you about it?

I think The Wicked Lady or The Man in Grey, as both films were regularly shown on Film 4. She was stunningly beautiful and such a vibrant presence onscreen. When thinking of British actresses of that period, people tend to think of Vivien Leigh, and although I am a massive fan of Leigh, I was drawn to Margaret's British films, as they are quite unlike anything Hollywood was producing at the time. To me, they were more daring, and I suppose that was part of the fun!

Lyndsy Spence

Why does Margaret Lockwood appeal to you more than many other actresses of that era? 

With the exception of two Hollywood films, she worked exclusively in British films, and I think that gives her career more scope. Certainly, this makes her a unique star and makes her all the more interesting to someone who is not only a biographer but a fan of classic cinema, too.

There are two autobiographies by Margaret Lockwood (My Life and Films from 1948 and Lucky Star from 1955), as well as Once a Wicked Lady by Hilton Tims. Why did you see the need for another biography about Miss Lockwood?

I've partly answered this below, but to cut a long story short, I was interested in delving into her background a little more. Much has been written about her relationship with her mother and her first and only husband (whom she divorced) but I always felt that fragments from their lives together were missing. I wanted to understand Margaret more as a person than a star, and I felt it was a good starting point to investigate the lives of those who surrounded her and who made an impact on her, in her private life at least.

How did you go about researching the life of Margaret Lockwood?

I read her two autobiographies as well as the biography by Hilton Tims. I also made a list of the relevant people to contact. Of course, the Margaret Lockwood Society helped enormously and several people came forward and offered to share their memorabilia, letters, and personal stories. Aside from gathering information about her career, I was in contact with a Lockwood family historian, Robert Ward, and together we unearthed fascinating information about Margaret's background, which is otherwise unknown by the public. Her daughter and great granddaughter were also very gracious with their time and information.

Margaret Lockwood was the most popular actress in the United Kingdom for much of the Forties and she still has a wide fanbase in the UK, U.S., Canada, and Australia. What do you think her appeal is and why has she remained popular for so long? 

From a historical perspective, her place in British cinema is unique. While Hollywood was producing clone after clone of gorgeous brunettes, Britain had Margaret Lockwood. I don't think, in terms of looks (as in being a dark beauty) that she had any competition. Her so-called "rivals", after all, were blondes.

Do you have any other projects in the works? 

Yes, I am focusing on historical fiction

 Margaret Lockwood-Queen of the Silver Screen is available for pre-order at Fantom Films.

Announcing the 3rd Annual British Invaders Blogathon

The past two years A Shroud of Thoughts has hosted the British Invaders Blogathon, a celebration of the best in British films. The blogathon was fairly successful in its first two years, so I am bringing it back for a third. While many people think of Hollywood when they think of classic movies, the fact is that the United Kingdom made many significant contributions to film over the years. From the Gainsborough melodramas to Hammer Films to the British New Wave, cinema would be much poorer without the British.  I've scheduled this year's British Invaders Blogathon  for August 5, August 6, and August 7.

Here are the ground rules for this year's blogathon:

1. Posts can be about any British film or any topic related to British films. For the sake of simplicity, I am using "British" here to refer to any film made by a company based in the United Kingdom or British Crown dependencies. If you want to write about a film made in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, then, you can do so. Also for the sake of simplicity, people can write about co-productions made with companies from outside the United Kingdom. For example, since 2001: A Space Odyssey is a British-American co-production, someone could write about it if they chose.

2. There is no limit on subject matter. You can write about any film in any genre you want. Posts can be on everything from the British New Wave to the Gainsborough bodice rippers to the Hammer Horrors. I am also making no limit on the format posts can take. You could review a classic British film, make an in-depth analysis of a series of British films, or even simply do a pictorial tribute to a film. That having been said, since this is a classic film blogathon,  I only ask that you write about films made before 1991. I generally don't think of a film as a classic until it has been around for thirty years, but to give bloggers more options I am setting the cut off point at twenty five years ago.

With regards to subject matter, I have to say that, this year at least, people might  not want to write posts devoted to legendary actress Margaret Lockwood and her films for the British Invaders Blogathon. This is for the simple reason that in September I will be hosting the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon in honour of her 100th birthday. If you are a Margaret Lockwood fan, you might want to save any posts about her for that event! I'll make an official announcement for the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon in the next few days.

3. I am asking that there please be no duplicates. That having been said, if someone has already chosen to cover From Russia with Love (1963), someone else could write about the James Bond series as a whole.

4. I am not going to schedule days for individual posts. All I ask is that the posts be made on or between August 5, August 6, or August 7.

If you want to participate in the British Invaders Blogathon, you can simply comment below or get a hold of me on Twitter at mercurie80, Google+, or at my email:  mercurie80 at gmail.com.

Below is a roster of participants and the topics they are covering. Come August 5 I will make a post that will include all of the posts in the blogathon

The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog: Cone of Silence (1960)

Vitaphone Dreamer: The Red Shoes (1948)

Defiant Success: Local Hero (1983)

Prowler Needs a Jump: So Long at the Fair (1950)

Moon in Gemini: Barry Lyndon (1975)

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood: I Know Where I'm Going (1945)

Movie Movie Blog Blog: Clockwise (1985)

Crítica Retrô: A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Little Bits of Classics: The Ladykillers (1955)
  
Realweemidgetgirl Reviews Movies, TV, Books, and More: Gregory's Girl (1981)

The Midnite Drive-In: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Pink Floyd--The Wall (1982)

Old Hollywood Films: Great Expectations (1946)

Sometimes They Go to Eleven: It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

Cinematic Scribblings:  Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)

The Flapper Dame: The 39 Steps (1935)

The Wonderful World of Cinema: Young and Innocent (1937)

A Shroud of Thoughts: The Brides of Dracula (1960)

Thoughts All Sorts: Ask a Policeman (1939)

Below are several banners for participants in the blogathon to use (or you can always make your own):

A Shroud of Thoughts' 12th Anniversary

It was twelve years ago today, on June 4 2004, that I started A Shroud of Thoughts. At the time I had no idea that I would still be writing on the blog twelve years later. It has lasted longer than any job I have had, as well as any romantic entanglements. In many respects, I suppose A Shroud of Thoughts has become my life's work. Short of Google shutting down Blogger, it could be a legacy I leave behind long after I am gone.

For those of you wondering about the title A Shroud of Thoughts (admittedly an odd name for a blog devoted to pop culture and nostalgia), in the early to mid Naughts the fashion in blog titles was towards ones with the word "thoughts"or, at least, a synonym of the word "thoughts", in them. I then borrowed a phrase from Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage canto iii stanza 113:

I have not loved the world, nor the world me;
I have not flattered its rank breath, nor bow'd
To its idolatries a patient knee,
Nor coin'd my cheek to smiles, nor cried aloud
In worship of an echo; in the crowd
They could not deem me one of such; I stood
Among them, but not of them; in a shroud
Of thoughts which were not their thoughts, and still could,
Had I not filed my mind, which thus itself subdued.

I must confess that after a time I thought of changing the name of the blog, but by the time I seriously considered doing so the blog already had a small readership. I thought it might confuse people if A Shroud of Thoughts became something else. Even today I have thought of changing its name, but I fear it would throw my readers off! It seems it will then remain A Shroud of Thoughts forever.

A Shroud of Thoughts has changed some over the past twelve years. It has always been devoted to pop culture, but in the early days I also wrote things of a more personal nature. I finally decided people probably weren't interested in my rather dull life, so the more personal posts fell by the wayside. One big change on the blog is that I find myself writing many, many more eulogies for actors, musicians, and other pop culture figures who have died than I once did. Indeed, from January to April of this year I swear the majority of my posts were eulogies. I must confess I hate writing eulogies (let's face it, for me to do so someone has to have died), but I feel an obligation to do so as a means of honouring those who have an impact on my life with regards to popular culture. There was a time when I also reviewed more recent movies and TV shows. I never made a conscious decision to stop doing so, but being more interested in popular culture from the past the reviews of more recent films and TV show simply fell by the wayside.

Here I must point out that A Shroud of Thoughts is not the only blog that has been around for a long time, as there are many others dating to the early to mid-Naughts. Immortal Ephemera is even older than this blog, dating to 2002. Inner Toob is about a month and a half older, launching in April 2004. Both The Stop Button and Laura's Miscellaneous Musings date to 2005. The Rap Sheet just celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. While blogs older than a decade are rare, they aren't exactly as rare as one might think! By the way, I strongly recommend that you visit all of these fine blogs (they've lasted so long for a reason).

It is a tradition here at A Shroud of Thoughts for me to post what I feel are the best posts from the past year. With that in mind, here are the best posts from June 2015 to June 2016:

"Pillow Talk (1959)" June 19 2015

"The British New Wave" June 28 2015

"The Ladykillers (1955)" August 1 2015

"A Spider and His Webs: Lionel Barrymore in It's a Wonderful Life" August 15 2015

"The 60th Anniversary of Gunsmoke" September 10 2015

The Week of September 13 to September 19 (contains anniversary posts for F Troop, Green Acres, The Wild Wild West, I Dream of Jeannie, and Get Smart)

"The 60th Anniversary of The Phil Silvers Show" September 20 2015

"The 50th Anniversary of The Beatles cartoon" September 25 2015

"The 120th Anniversary of Buster Keaton's Birth" October 4 2015

"Rita Moreno: Puerto Rican Superstar" October 12 2015

"Shock! How Television Revived the Universal Monsters" October 27 2015

"Frank Morgan: The Man Behind the Curtain" November 21 2015

"Frank Sinatra's Centennial" December 12 2015

"Animated Christmas TV Specials of the Sixties" December 23 2015

"Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut" January 20 2016

"Shivers (1975): Canadian Grown Horror" February 2 2016

"Female Voice Artists of Classic Cartoons" February 4 2016

"The Nat King Cole Show" February 16 2016

"Jackie Gleason's Centennial" February 26 2017

"Oscar Snubs: The Beatles' Songs from A Hard Day's Night (1964)" February 27 2016

"The 75h Anniversary of M&Ms" March 5 2016

 "Red Dwarf: 'Tikka to Ride'" March 26 2016

"Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) April 4 2016

"The Maltese Falcon: From Book to Screen" April 9 2016

"The Man Who Laughs: Batman's Archenmey The Joker" May 14 2016

Julia Meade R.I.P.

Julia Meade, who served as a pitchwoman on The Ed Sullivan Show and acted on stage and film, died on May 16 2016 at the age of 90.

Julia Meade was born on December 17 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. When she was ten years old her family moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey. She later graduated from the Yale School of Drama.

In 1947 Miss Meade made her professional stage debut in the traditional production of The Lost Colony in North Carolina. In 1948 she moved to New York City where she was a model for the Harry Conover agency. Her first work in television came the same year. She worked at the Du Mont TV studio in Wanamaker's department store in New York City. In 1952 she appeared in an episode of Lux Video Theatre. In 1953 she appeared in an episode of Goodyear Playhouse. It was that year that she was hired as a pitchwoman on Toast of the Town, the variety show that would eventually be renamed The Ed Sullivan Show for its host. She appeared in live ads for Lincoln automobiles on the show. She also promoted products ranging from Hudnut hair products to Kodak cameras.  Before the end of the Fifties Julia Meade was a household name. She continued to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show until 1967.

In 1954 she appeared on Broadway in The Tender Trap. During the Fifties she also appeared on Broadway in Double in Hearts and Roman Candle. On television she appeared in episodes of Armstrong Circle Theatre and Playhouse 90. She played Marie in the movie Pillow Talk (1959).

During the Sixties she continued to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. She also appeared on the game show The Match Game. She guest starred on The Christophers and appeared in the movies Tammy Tell Me True (1961) and Zotz! (1962). She appeared on Broadway in Mary, Mary and The Front Page.

In the Seventies she guest starred on CBS Daytime 90 and Ryan's Hope. In the Eighties she appeared in the TV movie My First Love and the film Presumed Innocent (1990).  Well into the Nineties she continued to appear in various stage productions.

For a time Julia Meade was a household name. Through her weekly appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show she became a very familiar face for many Americans. TV Guide once called her Ed Sullivan's "favourite salesgirl", and one has to suspect she was a favourite with many Americans as well. Of course, Julia Meade was much more than a commercial spokeswoman. She was an actress of some talent. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her performance of Mary, Mary when it was in Chicago. Miss Meade was quite enjoyable in the few movies she made, including Pillow Talk, and she was quite good as the female lead in Zotz!. Today Julia Meade may not be particularly well known, but for a time she was a household name and she was always a very talented woman.

Ad Man William "Bill" Backer R.I.P.

William "Bill" Backer, the advertising man who created Coca-Cola's legendary "Hilltop" commercial (which featured the song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)"), died on May 13 2016 at the age of 89.

Bill Backer was born on June 9 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, after which he served two years the United States Navy. In 1950 he graduated from Yale with a bachelor's degree. He spent three years selling real estate and writing jingles before he joined McCann Erickson. He started his career there in the mail room. Bill Backer remained with McCann Erickson for a few years before moving on to Young and Rubicam. Among his early work were slogans for Oreo ("Little girls have pretty curls, but I like Oreo") and Beech Nut Gum ("I’m not talking while the flavor lasts").

Bill Backer later returned to McCann Erickson where his career took off. There he worked on the Coca-Cola account. He developed the slogans "Things go better with Coke"and "It's the real thing".  It was Mr. Backer who created the famous "Hilltop" ad for the soft drink, in which a multi-ethnic collection of young people stood atop a hill and sang "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)". It is often counted among the greatest advertisements of all time. While at McCann Erickson, Bill Backer also worked on the Miller Beer account. He came up with the slogan "Miller Time". For Miller Lite he came up with the slogan "Everything you ever wanted in a beer, and less", as well as the famous "Tastes great"/"Less filling" campaign. For Campbell Soup he developed the slogan "Soup is good food" and for Lowenbrau "Here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special." He also worked on advertising campaigns for Wendy's and Hyundai.

At McCann Erickson, Bill Backer became creative director in 1972 and then vice chairman in 1978. In 1978 he founded his own agency Backer & Spielvogel with Carl Spielvogel. In 1987 it became Backer, Spielvogel & Bates Worldwide, Inc.

There can be no doubt that Bill Backer was one of the most legendary ad men of all time. If the "Hilltop" ad had been his only contribution to advertising he would still be remembered. As it is he created a number of campaigns and slogans that are remembered to this day. While Coca-Cola slogans have come and gone since the Sixties, "Things go better with Coke"and "It's the real thing" are familiar even to people who weren't born at the time. Bill Backer had a knack of tapping into people's needs and desires and building entire campaigns around them. Few ad men were ever as successful as Bill Backer was. It is doubtful very many more will be in the future.

Andy Griffith at 90

Many people do not realise that Andy Griffith and Marilyn Monroe were born on the exact same day. Today I have seen many articles celebrating the 90th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's birth, but not so many about Andy Griffith. I find that sad as for me Andy Griffith has always been the more significant of the two. I would not see my first Marilyn Monroe movie until I was nearly an adult. On the other hand, I grew up with Andy Griffith. In fact, I can't even remember a time when I didn't know who Andy Griffith was.

Like most people I first encountered Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show. I have no idea when I first saw it, but its final seasons aired when I was an infant, toddler, and very small child. That having been said, I remember it best from syndicated reruns, of which there has never been any shortage. In fact, I dare say that at no point since it went off the air has there not been a time when one couldn't watch The Andy Griffith Show in mid-Missouri! The Andy Griffith Show appealed to me greatly as a child and it is still one of my all-time favourite shows. This should be little wonder. I grew up on a farm outside a small town that was and still is a lot like Mayberry. Furthermore, my father always reminded me quite a bit of Andy Taylor. Oh, he was a farmer rather than a sheriff, but like Andy Taylor he was gentle yet firm, and possessed of a mischievous sense of humour and a gift for telling stories. To me The Andy Griffith Show was always much more relevant than the so-called "relevance' shows that debuted in the early Seventies.

I was still a lad when I first saw Andy Griffith in both No Time for Sergeants (1958) and Onionhead (1958). I loved both movies then and I still love them now. Even though both characters were from the South, I always thought Will Stockdale of No Time for Sergeants was a very different character from Andy Taylor. Both had a rather playful sense of humour, but Andy was quite a bit brighter than Will, who would seem to be at least part of the inspiration for Gomer Pyle. The first time I watched No Time for Sergeants much of its subtle satire was lost on me, but I thought it was very funny regardless. Of course, as an adult I appreciate it that much more.  I really liked Onionhead as well, even though it is a very different film despite its military setting. Al Woods was a good deal brighter than Will Stockdale and probably more cultured than Andy Taylor (the movie begins with him quitting college), but he is still recognisable as the sort of character for which Andy Griffith was best known for playing: affable, friendly, and funny.

I would be a young adult before I saw what I consider Andy Griffith's greatest performance. In fact, A Face in the Crowd (1957) was a bit of a revelation for me. Before I had only seen Andy Griffith playing men who were kind, friendly, honest, and funny. Some might be brighter than others, but in every case they were definitely upstanding citizens. This was not the case with Lonesome Rhodes, who was about as far as Andy Taylor as one could get. Indeed, Lonesome Rhodes could be considered an outright sociopath. Initially the host of a local radio show and eventually a national TV show, Rhodes was selfish in the extreme and clearly an egomaniac. Unfortunately, he was also charismatic enough to gain a sizeable following. Andy Griffith gave a bravura performance as Lonesome Rhodes, so much it shocks me that Mr. Griffith was not nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for the role. Indeed, he should have won. Sadly, A Face in the Crowd seems to have grown more timely with each passing year.

Of course, as both a child and a young adult I would see Andy Griffith in yet other roles. He starred in a short lived comedy-drama The Headmaster in 1970, which I barely remember. As a child I also remember seeing him in the movie Angel in My Pocket (1969), in which he played a role not too far removed from Sheriff Andy Taylor. I remember him very well as crusty B-Western extra Howard Pike in Hearts of the West (1975). I also remember him in the short lived TV show  Salvage 1, which ran briefly in 1979. Of course, all through my childhood Andy Griffith's comic monologue, "What It Was, Was Football" was always being played on the radio. It may well be my favourite comic monologue of all time.

Although best known for his amiable "good ol' boy" roles, Andy Griffith was nothing if not versatile. He did play villains beyond Lonesome Rhodes in his career. The 1974 TV movie Savages was sort of a modernised version of The Most Dangerous Game, with Andy Griffith playing a homicidal lawyer and amateur hunter determined to kill the only person who saw him accidentally shoot someone. In the spy parody Spy Hard (1996) Andy Griffith got to play a truly Bondian villain, General Rancor, who aims to take over the world. While Andy Griffith was good at playing villains, he could also be quite good roles that were different from both Andy Taylor and Lonesome Rhodes. He was excellent as curmudgeonly business owner Joe in the movie Waitress (2007)  and as ageing womaniser Grandpa Joe in the 2009 film Play the Game (not necessarily a good film, but Mr. Griffith is quite good in it).

Of course, for many Andy Griffith will always be Ben Matlock on the long running TV show Matlock The character of Matlock really wasn't that far removed from Andy Taylor, although Ben was always a good deal more cantankerous and perhaps a little less folksy. I rather suspect the show's lasting success is mostly due to Andy Griffith, whose charm is present in the role much as it was when he was playing Andy Taylor. It runs in syndication to this day. 

As I said earlier, over the years I have never known a time when I did not know who Andy Griffith was. He has been a part of my life far longer than many actors and other performers. Not surprisingly, Andy Griffith has had an enormous impact on my life and remains one of my favourite actors of all time. Indeed, to this day when I stop to think of the right thing to do in any given situation, it often occurs to me, "What would Andy Taylor do?" I am sure I am not alone in my high regard for Andy Griffith and the impact he had on my life. Indeed, with The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock still in reruns to this day, I am sure there are many others like me.