Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Sunday, August 10, 2025
FORGOTTEN ONES: HENRY THIES
In the past however, Henry Thies had nervous problems. Two years before his death, he had tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills. After that attempt, Thies was a patient in a mental hospital for nearly 15 months.
He had new performances and radio shows scheduled and was a very successful bandleader. If he hadn't ended his life, his band would have continued to hit greater heights of fame and stardom. It's sad that he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound on June 12, 1935. His wife, his son (who was 19), and a mother and a sister survived him...
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
RIP: JANE MORGAN
Her family announced her death, saying, “Our beloved Jane passed away peacefully in her sleep.”
As Jane Morgan, the singer was a popular and ubiquitous presence on television variety shows from the Golden Age of the 1950s well through the 1960s and even into the early 1970s. She appeared on The Johnny Cash Show, where she answered the Man in Black’s “A Boy Named Sue” with “A Girl Named Johnny Cash,” which was written for the show by Martin Mull. The song was a minor hit on country radio.
She is thought to hold the record for female singers appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show — 50 times in all.
On Broadway, Morgan appeared in Ziegfeld Follies of 1957, The Jack Benny Show (1963) and in the title role of Mame (1968-69).
Born Florence Catherine Currier on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan raised by a musical family in Florida and started singing onstage at age 7. In 1948 she was training as a lyric soprano at the Juilliard Conservatory in New York. Singing in nightclubs and small restaurants to help pay her tuition, Morgan was spotted at one such venue by French bandleader Bernard Hilda. Recognizing her unique talents, he took her to sing at clubs in France where she quickly became “The Toast of Paris.”
From there, Morgan’s popularity and career continued to ascend. Having taken Europe, she returned to America, signed with Kapp Records and released a string of albums including The American Girl from Paris and All the Way. In all, she would ultimately earn six gold records.
Among her single hits was one that would become a signature tune for her: “Fascination” (1957). Featured in the Gary Cooper-Audrey Hepburn movie Love in the Afternoon, it went Top 10 and was the title track from her biggest stateside album, which reached No. 13. Her recording of “Fascination” also has been used in the soundtracks of Diner, The Next Karate Kid, Call The Midwife and Fallout.
Her U.S. chart career was spotty, but the international hits would keep coming through the ’50s and ’60, including recordings of such traditional pop standards as “The Day The Rains Came” — which topped the UK chart in 1959 — “With Open Arms,” “To Love and Be Loved” and “Blue Hawaii,” among many others.
In 1962, Morgan had found a new manager, Jerry Weintraub, who would become one of the entertainment industry’s more formidable music managers with clients including Elvis Presley and John Denver. Weintraub also would become a prolific film producer, responsible for such hits as The Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven.
Morgan married Weintraub in 1965 and she became stepmother to Weintraub’s son Michael. Morgan and Weintraub would add to their family by adopting three daughters, Julie, Jamie and Jody.
Over the course of her career, Morgan performed for presidents and toured with the popular comedians of the day. She made numerous appearances on television specials and hosted three of her own including The Jane Morgan Hour (1959). A sampling of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s TV variety shows and specials she appeared on include The Colgate Comedy Hour, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, The Jack Benny Program, The Hollywood Palace, The Dean Martin Show, The Kraft Music Hall and The Jackie Gleason Show.
She also did a few TV guest shots during her career including Peter Gunn and It Takes a Thief.
Morgan received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.
She is survived by her son Michael Weintraub (Maria), daughters Jamie Weintraub and Jody Weintraub, six grandchildren and eight grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by husband Jerry and daughter Julie. Memorial Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology at UCLA...
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: KATHERINE HEPBURN & GINGER ROGERS
Saturday, July 26, 2025
RECENTLY VIEWED: HAPPY GILMORE 2
In May 2024, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit the film, taking over for the first film's distributor Universal Pictures. Kyle Newacheck was hired to direct the film, with Tim Herlihy co-writing the screenplay with Sandler. In July, Nick Swardson announced he would star in the film. In August, Sandler revealed Benny Safdie would have a role in the film, with football player Travis Kelce set to make a cameo. In September, McDonald and Julie Bowen were confirmed to be reprising their roles, with Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also added to the cast. John Daly would reveal he had filmed scenes for the film. Happy Gilmore 2 premiered at the Lincoln Center in New York City on July 21, 2025. The film was released on Netflix on July 25, 2025.
Friday, July 25, 2025
RIP: CLEO LAINE
So I did.
On stage, she wore a diaphanous gown and had an afro that looked like a sunburst mane as the spotlight hit it. And when the applause died away, she sang a capella. Then came the second number — Carole King's "Music," accompanied by Laine's saxophonist husband John Dankworth and his band, in an arrangement designed to establish her jazz credentials. In Britain, she and Dankworth had been playing clubs and concerts since the 1950s, but American audiences were just meeting her.
This song was also designed, I soon learned, to show off her range, from gravelly low notes, to keening ethereal sounds a full four octaves higher. In one particularly glorious passage she went from her lowest note to her highest and back down again in the space of 44 seconds. On her album Cleo Laine Live at Carnegie Hall you can hear her do it live for an audience that's clearly as astonished as mine was.
Now, vocal pyrotechnics are fun. But they're not everything for a pop singer. Laine, I discovered in years of following her, had everything. She excelled at jazz, pop, and classical stylings — among the few vocalists to receive Grammy nominations in all three of those categories — and was so popular in Britain that she was made a Dame in 1997.
I remember her holding the last note of "Send in the Clowns" at an outdoor amphitheater many years after I saw that first concert and, I swear, even the crickets stopped for her, the audience so captivated that no one wanted to break the silence.
As she finished that last note, I started counting — one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand ... and got to seven before every hand in the place came together in the only "thunderclap" of applause I've ever heard.
Laine continued performing for six decades — all but the last with her husband. He died hours before they were to give a concert in 2010, and she went on without him, only telling the audience at the end that he'd passed away — because, she said, that's what he'd have wanted.
In recent years her voice had dimmed, but not enough that there was ever reason to argue with the Sunday Times critic who said in the 1970s, that Cleo Laine was "quite simply the best singer in the world."
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
MARION COTILLARD AS EDITH PIAF
Marion Cotillard was chosen by director Olivier Dahan to portray the French singer Édith Piaf in the biopic "La Vie en Rose" (2007) before he had even met her, saying that he noticed a similarity between Piaf's and Cotillard's eyes. Producer Alain Goldman accepted and defended the choice even though distributors TFM reduced the money they gave to finance the film thinking Cotillard wasn't "bankable" enough an actress, preferring Audrey Tautou, hot from appearing in "Amélie" (2001) to play Piaf. Dahan was willing to reduce his budget by $5 million to get Cotillard.
To help portray Piaf, Cotillard shaved back her hairline and shaved off her eyebrows, which were later penciled in, to better resemble the singer. She shrank her body from its petite 5'6" frame to Piaf's minuscule 4'11" stature by crippling and curling her form. When Cotillard played the older Édith Piaf, make-up could take up to five hours.
"I couldn't leave the character on 'La Vie En Rose.' It was weird because I used to kind of judge actors who would stay in character on set or who would have a hard time leaving the character behind when the movie was done. I had this very dumb idea that "Okay, it's a big part of your life but it's your job. Go home and go back to yourself." It turns out it's not that easy. In the process I was in character almost all the time. Even when I went home, there was something that was not entirely me."
Cotillard's performance earned her several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress — marking the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role — the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, Costume Design, Film Music, four additional César Awards and grossed $86.3 million worldwide...
Saturday, July 19, 2025
HOLLYWOOD LOVE: FRANK SINATRA AND MIA FARROW
In the months that followed their wedding, Farrow traveled with Sinatra on his film shoots, portraying the role of the devoted wife. Yet the dynamic soon began to reveal cracks, as Farrow grew restless with the idea of being just a companion on the sidelines. In 1967, Farrow made the pivotal decision to accept the lead role in "Rosemary’s Baby," a horror film that would later define her career. Her commitment to the film led to a clash with Sinatra, who had cast her in a role in his own upcoming movie, The Detective. Farrow’s involvement in Rosemary’s Baby soon ran over its scheduled timeline, creating a rift with Sinatra that would culminate in a drastic turn. While Farrow was immersed in the haunting scenes of the film, Sinatra’s frustration grew, feeling sidelined as his wife’s professional ambitions took precedence over her commitment to their marriage. When Farrow failed to report for filming on The Detective, Sinatra, in a decision that spoke to his own sense of pride and professionalism, replaced her with actress Jacqueline Bisset. The couple's relationship continued to strain, as Sinatra’s lawyer served Farrow with divorce papers on the set of Rosemary’s Baby in November 1967, a dramatic moment that underscored the tragic end to their whirlwind romance.
The divorce papers, served amid the intensity of filming, came as a blow to Farrow, who later admitted that she bore some responsibility for the marriage’s failure. Reflecting on the relationship, Farrow described herself as an “impossibly immature teenager” during that period, noting how their vast age difference had contributed to the dissolution of their union. Sinatra, in contrast, was accustomed to a lifestyle and partner dynamic that Farrow could not comfortably conform to. In hindsight, she acknowledged that they had been at different stages of life, and despite her deep admiration for Sinatra, their needs ultimately clashed in ways that were irreconcilable. The age gap, combined with Sinatra’s traditional expectations and Farrow’s desire for a career, created an insurmountable rift. Though the romance was short-lived, it left an indelible mark on both of their lives. The two managed to mend their friendship in the years following their divorce, remaining close and supportive of one another until Sinatra’s death, an unusual yet enduring connection forged through mutual respect and affection.
Their wedding day, captured in photographs at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, remains etched in Hollywood history. The images show a young, hopeful Mia Farrow alongside the charismatic Sinatra, both of them draped in a mix of glamor and vulnerability. Farrow’s pixie cut, a daring fashion statement at the time, contrasted with Sinatra’s classic, polished look, encapsulating the blend of old Hollywood and the emerging modern era. These photos reveal the undeniable chemistry between them, a bond that, despite the challenges, was once filled with genuine warmth. Yet, the marriage was emblematic of the intense pressures that often plagued Hollywood couples, caught between personal aspirations and public scrutiny. Sinatra and Farrow’s relationship story became part of the Hollywood lore, capturing the imagination of fans who saw in them a mix of romance, mystery, and sadness. Though their marriage ended, the brief union left behind a powerful narrative of love, ambition, and the struggles that come with balancing personal and professional lives under the spotlight.
In August 1968, their divorce was finalized, closing a chapter on what could have been a legendary love story. The aftermath saw both continue to build their legacies, with Sinatra further solidifying his place as a music and film icon, while Farrow’s performance in Rosemary’s Baby catapulted her into stardom, forever intertwining her name with one of cinema’s most haunting films. They each pursued separate paths but kept a bond that would last through the decades, with Farrow speaking warmly of Sinatra even after his passing. This marriage, though short-lived, stands as a reminder of how love and ambition can collide, especially in an industry that magnifies every flaw and tests the resilience of relationships. Sinatra and Farrow’s wedding day photos remain a poignant glimpse into a fleeting but unforgettable romance—a union that was both a product of its era and a timeless tale of two people who, despite their differences, found a moment of connection in the unpredictable world of fame...
Thursday, July 17, 2025
RIP: CONNIE FRANCIS
"It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night," said her copyrights and royalties manager, Ron Roberts, in a post on social media. "I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news."
"Pretty Little Baby" most recently became a viral song on TikTok, which Francis joined shortly after, and the song has been used in more than 17 million videos totaling more than 27 billion views globally on the app.
"I'm flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of 'Pretty Little Baby' is making all over the world," Francis said. "To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is captivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelming for me."
"Pretty Little Baby" was included on Francis' 1962 album, "Connie Francis Sings 'Second Hand Love' & Other Hits," which charted on the Billboard Top LPs chart. The singles "Together" and "Don't Break the Heart that Loves You" both peaked at no. 1 on the Easy Listening chart.
In May of this year, "Pretty Little Baby" broke into Spotify's Global and U.S. charts for the first time.
Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey on Dec. 12, 1937, and is estimated is to have sold more than 200 million records worldwide in her lifetime.
She started singing on TV programs when she was a child. Her first hit, "Who's Sorry Now," debuted in 1958. In 1960, Francis was only 21 when she became the first female artist to get a Billboard Hot 100 No 1 hit, with her song "Everybody's Somebody's Fool."
Francis went on to have 53 hits on the Billboard charts over the course of her decades-long career.
In 1964, she was awarded a special Golden Globe for her contributions to the recording world.
In 2001, "Who's Sorry Now" was named one of the Songs of the Century in a list compiled by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts...
Sunday, July 13, 2025
FINAL RESTING PLACES: BILLIE HOLIDAY
One of the greats of jazz was the amazing Billie Holiday. Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", "Fine and Mellow", and "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for singing "Easy Living", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Strange Fruit". Billie, who had an addiction to alcohol and drugs, was arrested on a few occasions for drug possession. As her health declined in the 1950's, so did the quality of her voice and career. In 1959, she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and died from pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by the cirrhosis on July 17 of that year. As she was dying in the hospital, Billie was once again arrested for drug possession and police were guarding her hospital room until the end. She is buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx, NY...
Thursday, July 10, 2025
THE STORY BEHIND MOMMIE DEAREST
One of the most campiest of films, Mommie Dearest, made the leap from book to the silver screen in 1981. Surprisingly it came out only four years after Joan Crawford died. According to Faye Dunaway, producer Frank Yablans promised her in the casting process that he wished to portray Joan Crawford in a more moderate way than she was portrayed in Christina Crawford's book. In securing the rights to the book, Christina's husband David Koontz was given an executive producer credit, though he had no experience producing films. Dunaway likewise demanded that her own husband, photographer Terry O'Neill, be given a producer credit so he could advocate for her on set. According to Yablans, the two husbands jostled over Dunaway's portrayal of Crawford: “I had two husbands to deal with, David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”
In 2015, actress Rutanya Alda (Carol Ann) published a behind-the-scenes memoir, detailing the making of the film, "The Mommie Dearest Diary: Carol Ann Tells All." In it, she describes the difficulty of working with Dunaway, whose method approach to playing Joan seemed to absorb her and make her difficult to the cast and crew. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Alda stated, "People despised Faye...because she was rude to people. Everyone was on pins and needles when she worked, and relaxed when she didn't."
For decades, Dunaway was famously reluctant to discuss "Mommie Dearest" in interviews. In her 1997 autobiography, she only briefly mentions the film by stating that she wished that director Frank Perry had had enough experience to see when actors needed to rein in their performances.
In 2016, Dunaway expressed regret over taking the part and blamed it for causing a decline in her Hollywood career. She also claimed that the performance took a heavy emotional toll on her, stating: “At night, I would go home to the house we had rented in Beverly Hills, and felt Crawford in the room with me, this tragic, haunted soul just hanging around.… It was as if she couldn’t rest.”
By coincidence, Joan once said in an interview in the early 1970s that of the current young actresses, only Faye Dunaway had "what it takes" to be a true star...
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
RECENTLY VIEWED: JURASSIC WORLD - REBIRTH
Work on the film began shortly after the release of Jurassic World Dominion, when executive producer Steven Spielberg recruited Koepp to help him develop a new installment in the series. Koepp previously co-wrote the original Jurassic Park film (1993) and wrote its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). Development of Rebirth was first reported in January 2024. Edwards was hired as director a month later, and casting commenced shortly thereafter. Principal photography took place in Thailand, Malta, and the United Kingdom from June to September 2024.
Jurassic World Rebirth premiered on June 17, 2025, at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, and was released in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures on July 2. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some deeming it an improvement over the previous entries. It has grossed over $322 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2025.
Sunday, July 6, 2025
BETTE DAVIS AND THE BABY JANE MAKE UP
Early on, Bette Davis made the decision to create her own makeup for her character in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) "What I had in mind, no professional makeup man would have dared to put on me," said Davis. "One told me he was afraid that if he did what I wanted, he might never work again. Jane looked like many women one sees on Hollywood Boulevard. In fact, author Henry Farrell patterned the character of Jane after these women. One would presume by the way they looked that they once were actresses, and were now unemployed. I felt Jane never washed her face, just added another layer of makeup each day."
Davis' garish makeup made her look something akin to a grotesque version of an aging Mary Pickford gone to seed, and she loved it. She took pride when Farrell visited the set one day and exclaimed, "My God, you look just exactly as I pictured Baby Jane." The outrageousness of Davis' appearance caused some concern for director Robert Aldrich and the producers, who feared it might be too over-the-top. However, as time went on, they came to see that Davis' instincts for the character were right.
Aldrich on Davis: "Now Davis is a tough old broad and you fight. But when you see what she puts on the screen you know it was worth taking all the bull."
During the filming of "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964), Crawford said to visiting reporter and author Lawrence J. Quirk, "She acted like 'Baby Jane' was a one-woman show after they nominated her. What was I supposed to do? Let her hog all the glory, act like I hadn't even been in the movie? She got the (Oscar) nomination. I didn't begrudge her that, but it would have been nice if she'd been a little gracious in interviews and given me a little credit. I would've done so for her."
The public was well aware of the longstanding feud between these divas. So this was very much stunt casting; meant to play off the real life drama; and it worked; this movie was a critical and box office smash. They were meant to repeat this formula in "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte," but problems with the director and Davis caused Joan to be replaced by Olivia De Haviland at the last minute.
"There's no doubt in the world that Crawford was sick, seriously sick. If she'd been faking either the insurance company would never have paid the claim or she would never have been insurable again. Insurance companies are terribly tough, there's no such thing as a made-up ailment that they pay you off on."
Friday, July 4, 2025
PHOTOS OF THE DAY: MORE PATRIOTIC HOLLYWOOD
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
MY INTERVIEW - GINNY SIMMS
Sunday, June 29, 2025
THE LAST DAYS OF FARRAH FAWCETT
Her relationship with her longtime partner, Ryan O’Neal, deepened in these last years. He became her primary caretaker, ensuring she was as comfortable as possible. Their bond, though tumultuous over the decades, found solace in their shared love. O’Neal often read to her, recounting memories of their best times together. Their son, Redmond, who was in and out of legal troubles due to drug addiction, weighed heavily on her mind. Even from her hospital bed, she expressed her deepest wish for him to find stability and happiness.
Farrah endured painful treatments, but she fought bravely, refusing to let illness define her. Some days were better than others; on her stronger days, she would spend time looking through old photographs, reminiscing with close friends like Alana Stewart. Despite the grim prognosis, she never lost her sense of humor. In private moments, she joked about how she wanted to be remembered not for her suffering, but for her spirit.
In her final hours, her breathing became labored. The room was filled with whispered prayers and quiet goodbyes. Redmond, allowed a temporary release from jail, held her hand, promising her he would try to turn his life around. Her last words reflected love and peace. She asked those around her to celebrate her life, not mourn her death. On June 25, 2009, Farrah Fawcett passed away at 62, leaving behind a legacy of strength and unwavering determination...
Friday, June 27, 2025
THE MURDER OF JONATHAN HOSS: POTENTIONAL HATE CRIME?
Joss, 59, was gunned down near his San Antonio, Texas, home Sunday night in an attack that his spouse alleges was carried out by a homophobic neighbor.
“Everything was really close range. It was in the head,” Tristan Kern de Gonzales told the Press of the moment the actor was fatally shot.
“While I’m holding him, [the suspect] has the gun pointed over me, and he’s laughing, saying, ‘Oh, you love him? Joto,'” de Gonzales alleged.
“‘Joto’ is Spanish for f—t. I never knew the word until I came to Texas, and then I heard it a lot.”
The suspect, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, was arrested a block away and has since been charged with murder.
Cops, however, said the initial probe had found “no evidence” that indicated Joss was killed due to his “sexual orientation.”
It comes after the husband claimed the alleged killer had approached the pair after they stopped by to check the mail at Joss’ home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire that claimed the lives of their three dogs.
The husband said the couple had just found the bones of their dead pet dog displayed on the property — causing them both “severe emotional distress.”
“We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” de Gonzales said in a social media post.
“While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.”
The husband said the couple had just found the bones of their dead pet dog displayed on the property — causing them both “severe emotional distress.”Facebook/Tristan Kern de Gonzales
Joss — best known for voicing John Redcorn on the bawdy cartoon comedy — was struck by the gunfire and killed. He also appeared on the NBC comedy "Parks And Recreation".
“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Joss’ husband said.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
HISTORY OF A SONG: WOULDN'T IT BE NICE
Wilson produced the record between January and April 1966 with his band and 16 studio musicians who variously played drums, timpani, glockenspiel, trumpet, saxophones, accordions, guitars, pianos, and upright bass. The harp-like instrument heard in the introduction is a 12-string mando-guitar plugged directly into the recording console. One section of the song engages in a ritardando, a device that is rarely used in pop music. The band struggled to sing the multiple vocal parts to Wilson's satisfaction, and the song ultimately took longer to record than any other track on the album.
The song achieved great success on music charts. Notably, it reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, one of America’s most prestigious charts. It's also one of the most iconic songs by The Beach Boys, solidifying their place in pop-rock music history. "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" became a symbol of the golden age of 60s rock music and continues to be widely listened to even today...
Sunday, June 22, 2025
BORN ON THIS DAY: BILLY WILDER
The great director Billy Wilder was born on this day in 1906. Originally planning to become a lawyer, Billy Wilder abandoned that career in favor of working as a reporter for a Viennese newspaper, using this experience to move to Berlin, where he worked for the city's largest tabloid. He broke into films as a screenwriter in 1929 and wrote scripts for many German films until Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933.
Wilder immediately realized his Jewish ancestry would cause problems, so he emigrated to Paris, then the US. Although he spoke no English when he arrived in Hollywood, Wilder was a fast learner and thanks to contacts such as Peter Lorre (with whom he shared an apartment), he was able to break into American films. His partnership with Charles Brackett started in 1938 and the team was responsible for writing some of Hollywood's classic comedies, including Ninotchka (1939) and Ball of Fire (1941). The partnership expanded into a producer-director one in 1942, with Brackett producing and the two turned out such classics as Five Graves to Cairo (1943), The Lost Weekend (1945) (Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay) and Sunset Boulevard (1950) (Oscars for Best Screenplay), after which the partnership dissolved. (Wilder had already made one film, Double Indemnity (1944) without Brackett, as the latter had refused to work on a film he felt dealt with such disreputable characters.)