Curious that the BBFC list Stella Dallas a 1986 film (the year it had it's first VHS release).

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/stella-dallas-1986

IMDb lists a UK cinema release in February 1938 so it must have been rated back then.

Just finished watching My Reputation and thoroughly enjoyed it. Barbara was just wonderful in conveying all those mixed emotions and reluctant rebelling against the conventions of the times.

So pleased to hear that you enjoyed it, that was the fifth film that Barbara co starred with George Brent. He wasn't the most exciting actor, but I thought that they had great chemistry.

He must have had something special, Bette Davis did eleven films with him, and they had an affair as well. He also married two actresses, Ruth Chatterton, and the lovely Ann Sheridan, known as the Oomph Girl.

I've posted on the previous page Walter -last post of the page just incase you didn't spot it.

That must have been "Mother" with someone called Albert Brook's, who I had never heard of when I saw the film, and have never heard of since. I can't remember anything about it, and it didn't exactly set the world on fire, so I don't think that Nancy missed much.

Just reading the last couple of pages

Never been much of a film buff but I remember Barbara Stanwyck from the 60s TV Western called 'The Big Valley'

She'd have been aged around 60 then but she was still a damned attractive woman !........even to a teenage boy.........

I remember the day The Big Valley was first shown on ITV, it opened in the UK the same day that it opened in the USA, September 15th 1965. It ran for four years, finishing May 19th 1969.

I had received a personal letter from Barbara a few weeks previously apologising for her tardiness replying to my letter, and telling me about her new series, along with several photo's from the show.
I wonder how many of todays stars would take the trouble to do that when they were so busy.

Barbara was 58 years old when it started, and it really resurrected her career. She won a cluster of Awards too. She was Nominated three times for an Emmy as Best TV Actress, and won in 1966. She also earned three Golden Globe Nominations as favourite TV actress, and in March 1967 she made her first ever appearance on a TV chat show when she was presented with Photoplay's Gold Medal as favourite TV Actress on the Merv Griffin Show.

Colour TV didn't arrive here until 1967 so we only saw it in black and white, and we only got the first season.
Little did I know that 50 years later, I would have all 112 episodes on video in glorious colour, as well as two boxed DVD sets of Seasons One and Two.

He must have had something special to attract Ann Sheridan who I remember from one of my favourite films, Angels With Dirty Faces, with James Cagney.

Anne was terribly underrated, she and Cagney were also teamed in Torrid Zone and City for Conquest, both released in 1940.

She can be seen as the mystery guest on What's My Line on YouTube, and comes across as so warm, with a great laugh, and a lovely personality,

Sadly, she died of liver cancer a month before her 52nd birthday in 1967.

Take a look at @ClassicalCinema's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ClassicalCinema/...383717889?s=09

One of the few big stars left from the golden age of Hollywood is celebrating his 90th birthday today.

Many Happy Returns! 👏

I can recall seeing his first film in 1950 at the Granada, Clapham Junction, it was "My Friend Irma," co starring his regular partner for the next few years, Dean Martin, they appeared together in 16 more films, their last being Hollywood or Bust in 1956.

How do I remember that event so clearly? because it was the second feature after the main film, which was "The Furies," Barbara's greatest Western.

Arr that's a lovely tie in with Barbara Stanwyck -Did Jerry ever star in any films with any actresses that you were a fan of? He's not somebody I know a great deal about but I know that a few of my late Great Uncles (grandparents siblings from both sides of my family) were rather keen fans of his! I'm not sure how he is health wise but long may this link to Hollywood's past live!


Yes -I think that's the one! I think Debbie Reynolds received a golden globe nomination for her role, a bit of a career high accomplishment wise but I'm not 100% sure if she won.

Oh I read somewhere BTW Walter and meant to mention it earlier that Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne are meant to be selling of a lot of their assets homes, properties etc and downsizing, giving money away as he approaches his 100th birthday, apparently it's assumed in order to avoid a lot of it being claimed after death in taxes and to maybe avoid any unseemly family feuds over inheriting his estate after his death. It was on an American forum I recall. Just thought I'd mention it as a point of interest!

http://www.news-journalonline.com/ar...hospital&tc=ar

Sad news -The son of legendary crooner and legend of Hollywood's golden age Frank Sinatra has died suddenly of a heart attack aged 72-early news reports confirmed by the family.
Apparently he was at an event in Florida that was in honour /tribute to his father.

I was really shocked to her this new, especially as his Mother is still alive, although this will probably finish her.

Yet another connection to Barbara, Nancy Snr was her best friend, and she had a framed photo of the Sinatra family on her piano. Nancy was also the first person who she phoned when she became very ill in 1972. She phoned the hospital, and Barbara was rushed in to have an emergency operation which resulted in her losing a kidney. Thanks to Nancy she survived for another 18 years.

The only actress that I can recall as a standout in a Jerry Lewis film was Judith Anderson in Cinderfella. It was so long ago that I saw it, but I believe that Jerry played a version of Cinderella, and Dame Judith played the wicked stepmother in the same vein as Mrs Danvers.

He and Dean Martin also had Shirley Maclaine as their leading lady in one of her first films, Artists and Models.

I can't say that I blame Kirk unloading his assets, I guess that I will be doing the same in another 20 years.

I remember seeing a Jerry Lewis film at the pictures (or flicks !).........it was the one that was based on 'Jekyll & Hyde'

Probably Saturday Morning Kids Club........

That was The Nutty Professor (1963), remade by Eddie Murphy in 1996.

Hi Walter, on Monday TCM (U.S.) are showing two of Barbara's movies, Shopworn from 1932 and The Two Mrs Carrolls from 1947. What are your thoughts on those two films?

Shopworn is not one of her most memorable early 30's films, but certainly worth seeing. If only because at just 25 years old there was still a lot of the Brooklyn born Ruby Stevens in her personality.

Unfortunately in Regis Toomey, she had one of her blandest leading men. By the time he appeared with Barbara in Union Pacific eight years later, he was way down the cast list in a character role, and again in 1941 in Meet John Doe.

The Two Mrs Carrolls is definitely my favourite BAD film, which means that it is not very good, but it is great fun and there is not a dull moment. It is supposed to be scary, but you will probably be laughing your head off with Bogart rubbing his forehead to indicate madness, and Barbara rushing up and down the stairs in a long negligee, getting increaingly hysterical. It is supposed to be set in England, and so after an opening which is set in Warner Brothers idea of Scotland, it moves to a fictional town called Ashton, where the Cathedral bells never seem to stop clanging. Then just to confirm that it is set in Merrie Olde England, we hear Barbara's voice trilling from her bedroom window, "Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill."

Not to be missed!

Jimmy Cagey was such a wonderful actor

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Gam

Starred in a number of films including The Thief in 1956 with Ray Milland as well as "The Ten Commandments" and
"Magic Fire" with Yvonne De Carlo

Sad news


Oops hadn't realised it's been nearly a week since I posted in this thread -Sorry Walter 🙈

I seem to recall Rita being a close friend of Grace Kelly -often interviewed in documentaries about Grace's life.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...actress-877486

Another article on Ritas passing.

Also just checked and she was Grace Kellys bridesmaid.

Yes, very sad news, I remember seeing Rita in Night People with Gregory Peck, and Sign of the Pagan with Jeff Chandler and Jack Palance.

I can also recall seeing her as Grace Kelly's bridesmaid, and she was often interviewed in documentaries about Grace.

Your absence has not gone unnoticed, I guess you have been too busy in the Eastendesr thread.

Did she ever come close to becoming an a lister? Did she star with Grace in a particular film and that's how they became friends?

Oh yes not just EastEnders threads but here there and everywhere on here! I get about sometimes!

Rita and Grace never worked together, they met in New York in the early 1950's when they were models, and working on TV. They were introduced by Rita's then husband Sidney Lumet who was an up and coming director.

Rita showed great promise in her first years in Hollywood, but never really came close to becoming an A lister.

Sad to see that actor Ken Howard has died at 71. I remember him in two of Barbara's TV shows, The Thorn Birds and The Colby's. He also appeared in one of my all time favourite TV series, The Golden Girls.