FROM THE ARCHIVES: GENE KELLY & VERA-ELLEN

Gene Kelly's widow Patricia recently posted this telegram from Vera-Ellen to Gene. Such great memorabilia from March 28, 1949...

HISTORY OF A SONG: JUNE IN JANUARY

The year was 1934, and America was deep in the grip of winter—and the Great Depression. Yet, in the midst of cold winds and economic hardship, a melody drifted through radios and theaters that promised warmth and hope. It was called June in January, and it carried the magic of summer into the frostiest season.

The song was born on the silver screen in the Paramount film Here Is My Heart. Bing Crosby, already a rising star, crooned the tune with that effortless charm that made him a household name. Written by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin, the lyrics painted a picture of a clouded moon and sighing winds, only to transform the bleak January night into a blossoming June—all because of love.

When Crosby recorded the song on November 9, 1934, with Georgie Stoll’s orchestra, it was an instant sensation. The record climbed to number one and stayed there for seven weeks, becoming Crosby’s biggest hit of the year. For listeners struggling through hard times, the song was more than music—it was a promise that warmth and beauty could bloom even in the coldest days.

Other artists quickly embraced the tune. Richard Himber’s orchestra recorded the first version, and soon Little Jack Little, Ted Fio Rito, and Guy Lombardo added their interpretations. Each brought a different shade to the melody, but Crosby’s version remained the definitive one—a voice that could melt snow.

As decades passed, June in January never faded. Jo Stafford, Julie London, Dean Martin, and even jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery gave it new life. Crosby himself revisited the song twice: once in 1954 for his musical autobiography and again in 1977 for his album Seasons, just months before his passing. It was as if he knew the song’s message was eternal.

Why does it endure? Perhaps because it speaks to something universal—the way love can turn winter into summer, darkness into light. Nearly a century later, June in January still plays on vintage playlists and in the hearts of those who believe in love’s transformative power.

So next time January feels too cold, let Bing Crosby’s voice remind you: somewhere in the music, it’s always June...

THE BOX OFFICE STARS: 1958

With more competition than ever from television, younger movies stars were appearing on the silver screen in 1958. Here are the top ten stars of that year...

1. Glenn Ford
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Jerry Lewis

4. Marlon Brando

5. Rock Hudson
6. William Holden
7. Brigitte Bardot
8. Yul Brynner
9. James Stewart
10. Frank Sinatra

RIP: SIDNEY KILBRICK

Sidney Kibrick, the second-to-last surviving child star from the Our Gang series of movie shorts, died January 2, according to friends. He was 97.

Born July 2, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kibrick moved with his family to Los Angeles at age five. He was discovered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where a film producer scouting children for the Our Gang comedies spotted him. Created by Hal Roach — who also produced films starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and other comedians of that era — the Our Gang shorts (later syndicated on television as The Little Rascals) were produced from 1922 to 1944, spanning the transition from the silent era to early sound.

Kibrick’s earliest screen appearance was a brief, non-speaking role as an extra in the feature film Dead End. He made his uncredited film debut in Out All Night in 1933 and appeared in several additional uncredited roles before being cast as a regular in the Our Gang series in 1935.

Initially unnamed, his character was later identified as “Woim,” the sidekick to the neighborhood bully Butch, played by Tommy Bond. Kibrick appeared in 27 Our Gang shorts. At the time, the featured Our Gang players included George “Spanky” McFarland, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas, Eugene “Porky” Lee, Darla Hood, and Darwood “Waldo” Kaye.

After leaving Our Gang, Kibrick made a handful of uncredited appearances in other films before retiring from acting. As an adult, he worked as a real estate developer.

Former child actor Peggy Lynch, who appeared in three Our Gang shorts, is now the last surviving cast member from the classic film series...

RECENTLY VIEWED: JOHN CANDY - I LIKE ME

Over the New Year holidays, I watched two documentaries on comedians. There was one on Chevy Chase, which I already reviewed, I just finished one on John Candy that is streaming on Amazon Prime. Those two documentaries could not have been more different. John Candy: I Like Me is a 2025 American documentary film directed by Colin Hanks and is a portrait of the Canadian actor John Candy. The documentary premiered on September 4, 2025, as the opening night film of the Toronto International Film Festival.

John Candy began his career on the sketch comedy series Second City Television before becoming one of the most popular and beloved stars of comedy films until his death of a heart attack in 1994. The film relies primarily on rare and never-before-seen archive footage, outtakes, private home video, audio commentary and interviews provided by friends and family. The world premiere of John Candy: I Like Me took place at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, at the Roy Thomson Hall, including a live Q&A session with the film's director, producer and Candy's children Jennifer and Christopher Candy after the screening. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney attended the premiere, spoke to the audience, and paid tribute to Candy. Earlier the same day, an official trailer was released by Amazon Prime Video.

While the Chevy Chase documentary only had a few of his peers, everyone seemed to appear in the John Candy documentary, and John was genuinely loved by everyone from family and friends to people he worked with. The documentary was touching and sad. John Candy was a wonderful person and it showed through. While the Chevy Chase documentary exposed Chase as mean and egotistical, this John Candy really showed what a great human being John was. The world not only lost a funny man when John died, but the world lost a great human being. I recommend this documentary 100%. Then go watch a John Candy movie and marvel in the genius he was...

MY RATING: 10 OF 10

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS: HAL KEMP

Bandleader Hal Kemp died tragically on December 20, 1940, and here is a newspaper article from a couple weeks after that...

RECENTLY VIEWED: I'M CHEVY CHASE AND YOU'RE NOT

I just watched the interesting documentary on comedican Chevy Chase. CNN’s new documentary focused on longtime Hollywood funny man Chevy Chase, has arrived with renewed attention on the comedian’s legacy and the long-running controversies that have followed him for decades.

Titled I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the 97-minute film premiered Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. From his Saturday Night Live beginnings to a string of classic comedies, Chevy Chase has always had huge comedic range. He is also a complex and contradictory human being. Featuring revealing interviews with those closest to him, this documentary digs into the talent, flaws, and humanity that shaped an icon. 

In the days leading up to its release, the film drew attention for revisiting an SNL-era dispute involving Terry Sweeney and for prompting a public statement from former Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown.

The film is directed by Marina Zenovich, an Emmy-winning documentarian known for high-profile celebrity portraits, including Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired and Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. Zenovich’s approach typically blends first-person interviews with archival material and third-party accounts, and early descriptions suggest a similar structure here.

 I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not features interviews with Chase, members of his family, and a range of colleagues who worked with him over the course of his decades-long career. The documentary traces Chase’s rise as one of the most recognizable comedy stars of the 1970s and 1980s, from Saturday Night Live and National Lampoon to major film successes like Caddyshack and National Lampoon’s Vacation.

The film also revisits Chase’s later career and the reputation he developed behind the scenes, including long-standing claims from former collaborators who have described him as difficult or confrontational to work with. Several of those accounts have circulated publicly for years, but the documentary places them alongside Chase’s own recollections and responses.

One of the most discussed segments of the film involves Terry Sweeney, who joined Saturday Night Live during the 1985–86 season as the show’s first openly gay cast member. The documentary revisits Sweeney’s account of an AIDS-related joke Chase allegedly proposed during that period. In the film, Zenovich recounts the incident to Chase, quoting from Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. According to Sweeney’s recollection, Chase suggested a sketch that mocked the AIDS epidemic and singled out Sweeney.

Chase disputes Sweeney’s version of events in the documentary and claims he does not remember the incident as described. In the film, he also makes an incorrect remark about Sweeney’s status, prompting Sweeney to respond publicly after the documentary’s details became known. Sweeney later told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Chase’s comments offensive and inaccurate.

The documentary has also prompted public reaction from Yvette Nicole Brown, Chase’s former Community co-star. Brown did not participate in the film, but addressed it directly on social media in the days leading up to its premiere.

In a statement posted on Threads and later shared on Instagram, Brown criticized unnamed individuals for speaking “for” or “about” her without consulting her directly. She emphasized that people claiming to have insight into her experiences were doing so without her consent or involvement, and asked that her name not be used in connection with the documentary.

Brown added that she would not be offering further comment on the situation and described the renewed discussion as “beneath” her. Her remarks followed reports that the documentary revisits Chase’s firing from Community, which stemmed from a series of on-set conflicts, including an incident involving racial language.

Although none of Chase’s Community co-stars appear in the documentary, the show figures prominently in the narrative. Director Jay Chandrasekhar, who worked on the series, appears in the film and recounts the events surrounding Chase’s departure. According to Chandrasekhar’s account, tensions escalated during a production dispute involving a scripted storyline that Chase reportedly objected to. The documentary includes recollections of the aftermath, including Chase’s reaction and how production leadership handled the situation. Chase has previously acknowledged being unhappy with his character’s trajectory on Community, and the documentary presents his perspective alongside those of other participants.

The documentary was not a tribute to Chevy Chase, and I am not sure what I think of him after watching it. There are some touching moments with his wife and children, but then some of his comments are just horrible. I don't like him more but I don't hate him more either. I wish the documentary would have dug deeper. It skimmed the surface of why people who have worked with Chevy hate him so much. The documentary was good but compared to other ones of celebrities, this one left me wanting more...

MY RATING: 7 OUT OF 10