RUDY VALLEE (1901-1986)

Hard to believe that Rudy Vallee was one of the most popular singers out there before Bing Crosby jumped onto the scene in the early 1930s. Vallee did not have a great voice, but he had a way with a song. He also had a very enjoyable band as well. He was quite the rage in the late 1920s...

MUSICAL MOMENTS: BOBBY DARIN

Here is a clip of one of my all-time favorite Bobby Darin songs "Artificial Flowers". This version seems a little bit slower than the commercial recording that I have. This version is taken from a Darin television special...

FAVORITE SONGS: RHAPSODY IN BLUE

"Rhapsody In Blue" does not have lyrics but it is a supreme masterpiece. Here's an abridged version of the George Gershwin masterpiece composed for Paul Whiteman in 1924, from THE KING OF JAZZ(1930).

The segment opens with a completely unrelated "Voodoo Dance" from Africa, followed by the opening clarinet solo danced by Jacques Cartier, and then Roy Bargy playing the piano solo. I challenge anyone not to be moved by the song "Rhapsody In Blue"...

BILLIE HOLIDAY (1915-1959)

Billie Holiday has one of the most unique voices of all-time. Her life was troubled to say the least, and she died way too young. Luckily some great footage of Billie Holiday still exists...

INTERVIEW: JUDY GARLAND

Here is Judy Garland in 1968 on the Mike Douglas show. Joining her was fellow co-star Peter Lawford as well. Love her or hate her, she always gave great interviews...

THE CLASSICS: SUNSET BOULEVARD

Here is the famous Gloria Swanson scene from SUNSET BOULEVARD(1950). Swanson truly captured the crazed faded star Norma Desmond...

MOVIE TRAILER: HARVEY

I only recently got a chance to see the classic comedy HARVEY(1950), which starred Jimmy Stewart. The movie is as charming sixty years later as it was when it first came out in 1950. They don't make movies like this anymore...

CARY GRANT (1904-1986)

Cary Grant is often called one of the greatest actors of all-time, and I would agree. However, other than winning an "honorary oscar", he never won an Academy Award for acting. From the 1930s thru the 1960s, Cary Grant was Hollywood...

MUSICAL MOMENTS : FRANK SINATRA

Here is a great rendition of the timeless "The Lady Is A Tramp" by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra is singing it to co-star Rita Hayworth from the movie PAL JOEY(1957)...

FAVORITE SONGS: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN

Here is another favorite song of mine. The song "Pennies From Heaven" was introduced by Bing Crosby in the movie of the same name in 1936. It was a favorite song of my grandfather's, and it summed up his philosophy being raised during the Great Depression. It was a great song for Bing and other singers who sang the song...

UNUSUAL DUETS: BOBBY DARIN AND STEVIE WONDER

Here is a different looking Bobby Darin and a very young Stevie Wonder dueting on the Darin classic "If I Was A Carpenter". This was from a 1969 special...

RIP: JIMMY DEAN (1928-2010)

Country singing star Jimmy Dean passed away at the age of 81. He is more widely known for his Jimmy Dean sausage now than his singing, but he scored a huge hit with the song "Big Bad John". My grandfather was a huge fan of Jimmy Dean, and he had a ton of his albums. The entertainment world and the sausage world mourn the loss...

VERA LYNN (BORN 1917)

Dame Vera Lynn is unquestionably the greatest vocalist that Great Britain has ever produced. She was the sweetheart of World War II, and her singing is nearly perfect. She did not make many movies, but here are some great moments with Dame Vera Lynn...

MUSICAL MOMENTS - ETHEL MERMAN

Here is the ever unusual Ethel Merman singing a forgotten Irving Berlin song called "The International Rag". The song was written even before some of our grandparents were born. The clip is from the Ethel Merman movie CALL ME MADAM(1953)...

INTERVIEW: FRANKIE LAINE

Here is a great interview with singer Frankie Laine. Up until the end, Laine continued to entertainer. This interview is from 1999 when Laine was 86. Frankie Laine died in 2007...

CLASSIC MOMENTS: THE BAND WAGON

Here is the first big musical number from THE BAND WAGON(1953)with Fred Astaire. Many critics consider this movie one of Astaire's best. When you listen to this number "A Shine On Your Shoes" it is hard to be depressed...

MOVIE TRAILER: SHADOW OF A DOUBT

Here is an earlier Alfred Hitchcock movie, but one of his best. The movie centers around a mysterious uncle played by Joseph Cotten, and his niece (Teresa Wright) that uncovers the truth about him. The suspense and the thrills are great. The movie came out in 1943, but sixty plus years later, it is still great...

LOU COSTELLO (1906-1959)

Lou Costello was one of the greatest funny men of all-time. Together with Bud Abbott, Lou made people laugh in countless films of the 1940s and 1950s. For all the laughs he gave his audience, his life was not the happiest. However, Lou Costello was truly one of the greats of comedies, which these clips show...

MUSICAL MOMENTS: HARRY JAMES

Here is a great. musical number from the genius Harry James and his Orchestra. This is from the 1942 film PRIVATE BUCKAROO. Listen to this great trumpet work as James and the orchestra perform "Concerto For Trumpet"...

INTERVIEW: TIPPI HEDREN - 2007

Here is a great interview with the star of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS(1963)...Tippi Hedren. She tells some great stories about Hitchcock, and her debut in his movie...