The Honorary Awards for 2017 have already been presented, on November 12th.

You see what I mean, most film buffs wouldn't even be aware of it, although apart from Jackie Chan, even I didn't know who the other recipients were. Anne V Coates, British Film Editor, Lyn Stalmaster, American Casting Director, and Frederick Wiseman, American Filmmaker, Documentarian, and Theatrical Director.

Martin Landau won his well deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his amazing performance as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood.

When Barbara was Honoured in April 1982, her dear friend William Holden was scheduled to present the Oscar to her, but he had died in a tragic accident a few months before. Surprisingly, John Travolta was chosen to present her with the award, I heard that he was her choice, I don't know whether that was true, but they did go out to dinner together, and he seemed to have an affinity with the stars of the Golden Age like Fred Astaire and James Cagney. You can see the presentation on YouTube, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when paying tribute to Holden she held her Oscar above her head and said,

"He always wished that I would get an Oscar, and tonight my Golden Boy, you got your wish."

Thanks, I enjoyed reading that. She seems to be living a nice and peaceful life.

Awe I will have to look that up on Youtube -sounds very heartwarming.

I agree that the Honorary Oscars deserve much more stature, promotion and prestige. I'm so glad they got around to giving Maureen O'Hara one before she passed away.
Am I right in thinking that Angela Lansbury doesn't have an Oscar? If Vera Miles doesn't have an Oscar I think she'd be a worthy contender to be considered for an honorary.


Your Welcome!
Yes it seems that she left Hollywood before it cost her her sanity and happiness. It's certainly not an industry suited to everyone and I think we forget how nasty and uber competitive it can be behind the scenes.
Shocking the racism she had to contend with when she dated Sammy Davis jnr.

I must say I'm glad to learn more about Kim Novak as she's the "Hitchcock blonde" I know least about.

Angela was Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress three times, the first was for Gaslight (1945) when she was just 20 years old. The following year she was Nominated again for The Picture of Dorian Gray. She definitely deserved to win for her third and last Nomination for her chilling performance as Laurence Harvey's ruthless Mother in the Manchurian Candidate.

She was finally presented with an Honourary Oscar in 2014, although at the private ceremony which only the privileged few are able to see.

She was described as, "An entertainment Icon who has created some of cinema's most memorable characters, inspiring generations of actors."

I agree about Vera Miles, who shamefully has never received a single Oscar Nomination. But what can you expect from an industry that awards Liz Taylor TWO Best Actress Oscars!!

Vera certainly deserved a Nomination for Hitchcock's The Wrong Man. She might have had a better career if she had done Vertigo, she was his original choice, but she lost it, because as Hitch said, "she keeps getting pregnant", and he seemed to lose interest in her after that.

She was certainly highly thought of, even Joan Crawford was moved to say about her after they worked together on Autumn Leaves, "Why doesn't that gifted lady get better parts?"

I haven't seen The Manchurian Candidate but I really should. Am I right in thinking Frank Sinatra was the lead male in it? Was it made AFTER JFK or before please -as I know there are lots of conspiracy theories (even in the 1960s) after JFK in relation to Lyndon B Johnson.
I often associate Angela Lansbury with roles that are not gritty or dark -even in Murder she wrote TV series she herself plays a morally pure /good character. Is her character in The Manchurian Candidate quite dark?

Let's hope someone from the academy is reading this and puts Vera forward for an honorary whilst it's still possible!

Did you like another Hitchcock blonde Kim Novak?

The general thought of Angela Lansbury is either Murder She Wrote or Bedknobs and Broomsticks. But there is a lot more to her. She plays a nasty piece of work in The Manchurian Candidate. I didn't like the film but i loved her in it. And her role in Gaslight is dark as well. I find her very underrated at times. Because she doesn't do a lot of film and television anymore, it is as if she is often overlooked and forgotten in terms of today's older british actresses. But what people seem to forget that at the age of 90 something, she is still doing lengthy broadway musicals and plays on a regular basis and has an impressive 5 tony awards to her name. And only finally won her first laurence olivier award last year.

Yes, Sinatra had the lead role, the film was released in 1962 the year before Kennedy was assassinated, and there were rumors that Frank was responsible for having the film withdrawn from distribution after the assassination. It wasn't back in circulation until 1988, and I was glad to get the DVD a soon as it was issued.

My other favourite film of Angela's is Black Flowers For the Bride, an hilarious black comedy with Michael York as the naughty chauffer who seduces the whole family, Mother, daughter and Son.

I loathe Murder She Wrote, with it's ridiculous, contrived plots, and it is sad that is what has made Angela famous, rather than all of her marvellous film and stage performances. I find her know it all amateur detective very irritating, and the only part I watched eventually were the opening credits, just to see which old MGM colleagues were the guest stars for that week.

No, I don't like Kim Novak, and have never enjoyed one of her performances. She and Rita Hayworth managed to ruin Pal Joey for me, even Sinatra couldn't save it with that deadly duo as his leading ladies.

I love Murder she wrote. It's silly, fun, a bit camp and harmless. With so many depressing moody crime shows out there, it's one to turn to for light relief. Plus i prefer Ameteur detective shows like Murder she wrote because you don't have your intelligence questioned through all the mumbo jumbo fancy talk you get in other crime shows.

I actually thought Kim Novak was the best thing about Pal Joey. I mean everyone is great in it but i found her the main highlight. However, in other things i have see her in, i have found her a rather average actress at best.

As for Rita Hayworth. Meh. I don't rate her at all.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/201...mount-rushmore

So both of the standout remaining names who where due to reach their 100th birthday this year made it -Olivia De Havilland and Kirk Douglas.

Will respond to the Kim Novak and Angela Lansbury points a bit later but I felt this needed to be posted promptly!

Thanks Hilda, but I beat you to it by a few hours, see my new thread.

https://youtu.be/LCjBOZ4r9Ck

I've never seen Angela in a role this dark. I genuinely wasn't aware she'd worked across these wider genres. Sinatra must have had a heck of a lot of clout to get the film distribution curtailed for so long 😱
Also surprised it's in black and white.

Ive always found Murder she wrote to be camp too -supercamp actually and Angela Lansbury to be camp in a rather classy non flamboyant way if that makes sense?!

I believe lots of B listers from Hollywood's golden era starred in Murder she wrote in guest roles.

The only reason that I ever switch on Murder She Wrote is to see who this weeks Guest Stars are. Sadly most of the original great names who appeared in it are now dead, and I sometimes don't recognise the name of a single Guest "Star".

The great Claire Trevor made her last appearance on the show, and here are just some of the other names who appeared over the years: Jean Simmons, George Chakiris, George Clooney, Patricia Neal, June Allyson, Carol Baker, Ruth Roman, Evelyn Keyes, Dorothy Lamour, Piper Laurie, Virginia Mayo, Jean Peters, Mickey Rooney, Doris Roberts, Roddy McDowell, Jean Marsh, Lloyd Nolan, Sheree North, Cesar Romero, Gloria Stuart, Ann Blyth, Audrey Totter, Lynn Redgrave, Juliette Prowse, Stewart Granger, Betty Garrett, Jackie Cooper, Yvonne de Carlo, Polly Bergen, Eleanor Parker, Jane Powell, Jane Greer, Tippi Hedren, Vera Miles, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Neilson, and many, many more.

Nearly that time of year again. I wonder what golden oldie films they're going to show over Christmas on TV.

Yeah i know what you mean

Flicking through the Xmas double issue Radio Times (pre-1960 films):

Holiday Affair (1949)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Casablanca (1942)
Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956)
The Naked Truth (1957)
The Magnet (1950)
Long John Silver (1954)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
Scrooge (1951)
An American in Paris (1951)
On the Town (1949)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
tom thumb (1958)
Hobson's Choice (1953)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Singin' in the Rain (1955)
Great Expectations (1946)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Jassy (1947)
The African Queen (1951)
The Glenn Miller Story (1953)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Up Periscope (1959)
The Blob (1958)
The Dam Busters (1954)
It Came from beneath the Sea (1955)

Mostly familiar titles. Nothing before 1939 and no first screenings. Must be stuff in the archives that never get shown.

It really is pathetic, they have been showing most of those films for the past 40 years.

Thank Christ for the Talking Pictures channel!

Thanks for that. A few gems in there, but also a few that do seem to be on every year.

Never really watched the show but do remember randomly catching an episode with a young(ish) Bryan Cranston as a tennis player.

http://nypost.com/2016/12/08/how-kir...nest-beauties/

Goodness I hadn't realised that Kirk Douglas was such a ladies man and lothario in his heyday although he is undoubtedly very good looking. Even Gene Tierney falling for his charms.

I'm tempted by Hobsons Choice as I've never seen it and have no idea who stars in it but it's a great read.

That's quite an impressive list admittedly! I wonder if any agreed to it as a favour to Angela if she was a personal friend or whether they where all approaching it as jobbing actors in "need" of the work.

Did many guest star more than once in different roles?

Charles Laughton, a very young Prunella Scales as his daughter, John Mills, and Brenda de Banzie who steals the film even from the great Laughton.

I know Ruth Roman did, and Gloria de Haven and Kathryn Grayson who I forgot to mention in that list. They all appeared together working in a Beauty Salon.

I believe that Angela tried to get as many of her old MGM colleagues as possible.

I recall Kate Mulgrew appearing three times as well. And she played all three characters so differently as well.