ROBERT ARMSTRONG AND HIS APE MOVIES

It was in 1932 that Robert Armstrong became acquainted with an ambitious and adventurous pair of Hollywood filmmakers. Both were World War I fliers, big-game hunters and animal trappers, and partners in high adventure documentaries, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack had found a friend in rising producer David O. Selznick, who brought them on board at RKO, with Cooper as production idea man. Schoedsack was the technical side of the pair, knowledgeable about the actual physical and technical side of filmmaking, and became the actual director of their projects, with Cooper as an associate producer and sometime co-director. They turned out what would be the first of a string of horror-tinged adventure movies, "The Most Dangerous Game" (1932), with Armstrong having a part in it, albeit a less dimensioned character who had an early demise--the film centered on Joel McCrea and still young silent screen veteran Fay Wray. Cooper saw much of himself in Armstrong's general personality and wanted him for a film that he had been wanting to make for quite a few years, an adventure yarn dealing with the stories he had heard during his years making films in jungles all over the world of giant, vicious apes.

The resulting film, "King Kong" (1933), would put Armstrong at stage center as big-time promoter Carl Denham (very much Cooper himself). The film also began co-star Fay Wray on the road to stardom. With Copper and Schoedsack co-directing and the legendary Willis H. O'Brien heading up a visual effects team supporting his for-the-time astounding animated miniature sequences, the film was a treasure trove for RKO, bringing newfound respect for a studio known mostly for its "B" action films and westerns. It was Armstrong's defining moment and set the stage for the plethora of leading man and second lead roles he would play through the 1930s.

A sequel, "Son of Kong" (1933), followed almost immediately with the same production team and, though not achieving the critical or box-office acclaim as its predecessor, showcased another Armstrong strength--a great sense of comedic timing that had been evident, but not really traded upon, in previous films.

Cooper--gorillas still on his mind--came calling for Armstrong again for his "Mighty Joe Young" (1949), which he made about midway in his association with partner John Ford in their Argosy Pictures venture under the wing of RKO. Armstrong was again a reincarnation of Carl Denham as Max O'Hara, a fast-talking promoter looking for a sensation in "Darkest Africa". The Ford touch is perhaps seen in the cowboys who go along with young Ben Johnson as romantic lead to enthusiastic--to say the least--Terry Moore with her pet gorilla Joe (about half as big as King Kong but definitely no ordinary gorilla). It is a great little movie, with more light-hearted tone than "Kong" and a red-tinted fire scene recalling silent films...

RECENTLY VIEWED: MICHAEL

Growing up in the 1980s, Michael Jackson was everywhere. My sister loved his music, and we both grew up with the Jackson sound. This past weekend with my daughter we went to see the Michael Jackson bio pic Michael. It follows the life of Michael Jackson, covering his involvement in the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to the Bad tour in the late 1980s. Jackson is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson and as a child by Juliano Krue Valdi, both in their film debuts. The supporting cast includes Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo.

Development began in November 2019, when it was reported that the producer Graham King had secured the rights to produce a film about Jackson, with Logan attached to write. Lionsgate announced the film in February 2022. In January 2023, Fuqua was announced as the director and Jaafar was cast as Michael. Further casting took place from January to April 2024. After delays caused by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, principal photography took place between January and May 2024. After a clause was discovered in a legal settlement, references to the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson were removed, the third act was revised, and reshoots took place in June 2025.

The result is a really great movie. The movie ends in 1988, before the dark side of Michael Jackson's life happens. The end of the film leaves an opening for a sequel, but I would much prefer it to end here. The movie shows the abuse that Michael had to endure at the hands of his father. His father is played by Colman Domingo, and Domingo should win an acting award for his portrayal of Joe Jackson. Yes, there was a dark side of Michael Jackson, and not to take away from that, but the movie does an excellent job laying the ground work for why possbily Michael Jackson did what he did in later years. If you like Michael Jackson or solid movie biographies, then I think you'll enjoy Michael...

MY RATING: 9 out of 10

DON AMECHE AND TRADING PLACES

Don Ameche's strong religious convictions made him uncomfortable with swearing. This proved to be a problem for the scene in the movie "Trading Places" (1983), where he had to shout out "F*ck him!" to a group of Wall Street executives. When he did act out the scene, it had to be done in one take, because Ameche refused to do a second one.

Ralph Bellamy and Ameche "cheerfully admitted" they were unfamiliar with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd's work prior to working on the film. The two also said that Murphy and Aykroyd acknowledged that they were unfamiliar with Bellamy and Ameche. While this was Bellamy's ninety-ninth film, and Ameche's forty-ninth, this was only Murphy's second film, and he joked: "Between the three of us, we've made one hundred fifty movies!"

The scene where Mortimer Duke (Ameche) is trying to catch the money clip, and having trouble, wasn't supposed to happen that way, but both kept going with it, and not breaking character, so it was kept in the movie.

This was Ameche's first film since "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came" (1970). He had been doing television guest appearances. Ameche had no agent listed with the Screen Actors Guild, but he was in the phone book, so director John Landis simply called him and asked if he'd play the part. This movie jump started his return to theatrical films, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Cocoon" (1985)...

FRANK SINATRA IN 1994

At age 78, Frank Sinatra stood on stage before 20,000 fans — but something wasn’t right. Midway through a song, he faltered. The words, so familiar for decades, slipped from his memory. He paused, apologized softly, and began to walk off. For a moment, the silence in the arena was heavy. It felt like the quiet end of a monumental career.

But then, from the stillness, a single voice rose: “All right, Frank! Because we love you!” The words echoed through the venue, and suddenly the entire audience erupted in applause. It wasn’t polite. It was powerful, roaring, full of warmth. It reached Sinatra like a lifeline, reminding him of who he was and what he meant to people.

Moved by the outpouring, Sinatra turned around, walked back to the microphone, and dove into “Mack the Knife.” The performance that followed had all the old swagger, strength, and soul — a glimpse of the young crooner who had once commanded every room he entered. It was not a comeback. It was a reaffirmation.

That night didn't just save a performance. It extended a legend. Sinatra went on to sing for two more years, continuing to tour despite age, health, and doubt. What might have been his final curtain became one of the most touching moments of his career — not because of perfection, but because of the grace in imperfection.

Frank Sinatra may have been the Chairman of the Board, but in that moment, he was simply a man lifted by love. And thanks to one voice in the dark, the song — and the singer — went on."

THE LAST DAYS OF CLARK GABLE

Clark Gable's last film was "The Misfits" (1961), with a script by Arthur Miller and directed by John Huston. Co-starring with Gable were Marilyn Monroe (in her last completed film), Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter. Many critics regard Gable's performance to be his finest, and Gable, after seeing the rough cuts, agreed, although the film did not receive any Oscar nominations. Miller wrote the screenplay for his wife Monroe; it was about two aging cowboys and a pilot that go mustanging in Reno, Nevada, that all fall for a blonde. In 1961, it was a somewhat disconnected film with its antihero western themes, but it has since become a classic.

In a 2002 documentary, Eli Wallach recalled the mustang wrangling scenes Gable insisted on performing himself, "You have to pass a physical to film that" and "He was a professional going home at 5 p.m. to a pregnant wife." The New York Times found "Mr. Gable's performance as a leathery old cowboy with a realistic slant on most plain things" ironically vital, with his death before the film's release.

On November 6, 1960, Gable was sent to Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where doctors found that he had suffered a heart attack. Newspaper reports the following day listed his condition as satisfactory. By the morning of November 16, he seemed to be improving, but he died that evening at the age of 59 from an arterial blood clot. Medical staff did not perform CPR for fear that the procedure would rupture Gable's heart, and a defibrillator was not available.

In an interview with Louella Parsons published soon after Gable's death about speculation on his physically demanding role in "The Misfits", wife Kay Gable said, "It wasn't the physical exertion that killed him. It was the horrible tension, the eternal waiting, waiting, waiting. He waited around forever, for everybody. He'd get so angry that he'd just go ahead and do anything to keep occupied." Monroe said that she and Kay had become close during the filming and would refer to Clark as "Our Man," while Arthur Miller, observing Gable on location, noted, "No hint of affront ever showed on his face."

On March 20, 1961, Kay Gable gave birth to Gable's only son, John Clark Gable, at the same hospital in which her husband had died four months earlier. Marilyn Monroe attended his son's baptism...

JACKIE COOGAN: THE ORIGINAL CHILD STAR

Charlie Chaplin discovered Jackie Coogan in the Orpheum Theatre, a vaudeville house in Los Angeles, on the stage doing the shimmy, a then-popular dance. Coogan's father was also an actor, as was his younger brother, Robert. Coogan was a natural mimic and delighted Chaplin with his abilities. Chaplin cast him in a small role in "A Day's Pleasure" (1919). The following year, Chaplin cast Coogan as the abandoned child raised by his Tramp character in the silent comedy-drama "The Kid" (1921). In 1922, Coogan was cast in the title role in "Oliver Twist", directed by Frank Lloyd. Coogan was one of the first stars to be heavily merchandised. Peanut butter, stationery, whistles, dolls, records, and figurines were among the Coogan-themed merchandise on sale. He was tutored until the age of 10, when he entered Urban Military Academy and other prep schools.

As a child star, Coogan earned an estimated $3 to $4 million. When he turned 21 in October 1935, his fortune was believed to be well intact. His assets had been conservatively managed by his father, who had died in the car accident five months earlier. However, Coogan found that the entire amount had been spent by his mother and stepfather, Arthur Bernstein, on fur coats, diamonds and other jewelry, and expensive cars. Bernstein had been a financial advisor for the family and married Coogan's mother in late 1936. Coogan's mother and stepfather claimed Jackie enjoyed himself and simply thought he was playing before the camera. She insisted, "No promises were ever made to give Jackie anything," and claimed he "was a bad boy." Coogan sued them in 1938, but after his legal expenses, he received just $126,000 of the $250,000 remaining of his earnings. When he fell on hard times and asked Charlie Chaplin for assistance, Chaplin handed him $1,000 without hesitating.

The legal battle focused attention on child actors and resulted in the 1939 enactment of the California Child Actor's Bill, often referred to as the "Coogan Law" or the "Coogan Act". It required that a child actor's employer set aside 15% of the earnings in a trust (called a Coogan account), and specified the actor's schooling, work hours, and time off.

Coogan continued to act throughout his life, later earning renewed fame in middle age portraying a bumbling Uncle Fester in the 1960s television series "The Addams Family". After suffering from heart and kidney ailments, Coogan died of heart failure on March 1, 1984, at the age of 69, in Santa Monica, California. Coogan had a long history of heart trouble and hypertension and had previously suffered several strokes. He had been undergoing kidney dialysis when his blood pressure dropped. Coogan was taken to Santa Monica Hospital, where he died from cardiac arrest.At Coogan's request, his funeral was open to the public and was attended by several fans. John Astin, Coogan's co-star from The Addams Family, delivered the eulogy...

KITTY CARLISLE AND A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Kitty Carlisle, on working with the Marx Brothers on "A Night at the Opera" (1935):

"Groucho would come up to from time to time to ask me, 'Is this funny?'' Then, totally deadpan, he'd try out the line. I'd say, 'No, I don't think it is funny', and he'd go away absolutely crushed and try it out on everyone else in the cast. Chico was always playing cards in the back room and had to be called on the set. Harpo would work well until about eleven o'clock. Then he'd stretch out on the nearest piece of furniture and start calling at the top of his voice, 'Lunchie! Lunchie!'"

Carlisle initially refused to take the part when she was asked to mime to someone else's voice. She won, and the song she performs, "Alone", later became her signature tune.

The first sneak preview for this film, held in Long Beach, California, is generally considered one of the greatest bombs in Hollywood history. The Marx Brothers and Irving Thalberg wanted to survey the public's reception to the film, which contained greater continuity and a lengthier side-story romance than the troupe's previous films with Paramount. The audience at Long Beach, the first stop on the preview tour, despised the film and barely uttered a laugh. Cast members reported that Groucho Marx was despondent, and nearly suicidal, immediately following the poor Long Beach reception, while Chico Marx suggested that the crowd may have simply been feeling the after-effects of the recent death of the town's mayor. The reasons for the cool reception in Long Beach is unclear, but Thalberg urged the brothers to continue with the tour, and the next night's preview in San Diego produced riotous laughter that called the nerves of everyone involved...

A DISCOGRAPHY MOMENT: GENE KRUPA - APRIL 8, 1946

On this day in 1946 - 80 years ago the great Gene Krupa and his orchestra recorded a series of transcription discs in Hollywood, California...

Date: April 8, 1946

Location: Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA
Label: Capitol

Gene Krupa and his Orchestra
Charlie Kennedy, Harry Terrill (as), Charlie Ventura, Buddy Wise (ts), Joe Koch (bar), Jimmy Millazzio, Red Rodney, Joe Triscari, Ray Triscari (t), Bob Ascher, Nick Gaglio, Tasso Harris, Dick Taylor (tb), Mike Triscari (g), Teddy Napoleon (p), Irv Lang (b), Joe Dale, Gene Krupa (d), Carolyn Grey, Buddy Stewart (v)

1. Yesterdays 
2. Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home 
3. Prisoner Of Love – vBS
4. 1 Ain’t Nowhere – vCG
5.  Sweet Lorraine
6. Wire Brush Stomp
7. Old Folks At Home – vBS
8. You Go To My Head – vBS
9.  Bird House*
10. Bugle Call Rag
11. In The Moon Mist – vBS
12. Where Or When – vBS
13. It’s Up To You
14. What Is This Thing Called Love
15. Idaho

MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIE MUSICALS OF ALL-TIME

One of my favorite genres of movies are musicals. I was close to my grandfather, and he instilled in me a love of the movies and music of the 1930s and 1940s. Today is my birthday - I can not believe I am 52 now, so I wanted to share the list of my favorite movie musicals for my birthday entry this year. I did this list one before, way back in 2011 so it is good to update it. I am not looking at the old list before I make this new list.

Here are my five favorites:

5. SILK STOCKINGS (1957) - This movie was one of htel ast big budget musicals Fred Astaire did for MGM. MGM sure new how to make a musical back then. Fred was paired up with the wonderful Cyd Charisse for this musical set in beautiful Paris. Rounding out the cast was Janis Page, Peter Lorre, and Jules Munshin. The stand out songs for me was "Sterophonic Sound" (performed by Fred and Janis) and "The Ritz Roll And Rock" (which made fun of Fred's top hat and tales personna). The movie is a lot of fun! (#5 in 2011)

4. THE MUSIC MAN (1962) - My wife absolutely hates this movie, but I do not care. Robert Preston originated the role on Broadway, and he made this movie version as well. The songs were from Meredith Wilson, and I have had a foundness for the film since my music teacher had us watch the movie in the 7th grade. In the cast as well were top notch performers like Shirley Jones and Buddy Hackett. My wife hates Preston's singer, but I like the movie! (#3 in 2011)

3. HIGH SOCIETY (1956) - This movie was one of the last great musicals that Bing Crosby starred in, and it is one of the best msuicals of the 1950s. The music is provided courtsey of Cole Porter and rounding out the cast was Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Celetse Holm, and Louis Armstrong. On a personal note, I enjoyed Grace Kelly's character Tracy Samantha Lord so much, that we named our daughter "Samantha", and I used to sing the song "I Love You Samantha" to her. The story is great. The dialogue is witty. This musical is top notch in every way. (new to list)

2. HAIRSPRAY (2007) - It is odd for me that I have two modern musicals in my top five musicals, but I love this film. My daughter, and I have watched it countless times, and the film is nearly perfect. Another Broadway transformation, the film starred John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michele Pfeifer, and Jerry Stiller among others. Seeing John Travolta sing and dance as a woman is amazing, and the film had a serious tone dealing with 1960s racism. (new to list)

1. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007) - I am a huge fan of the movies of director Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp rarely makes a bad movie. Depp is not a singer, but he pulls of the role of Sweeney Todd perfectly. Tim Burton films the movie in such a way that you are transported back in time to the slums of London, and he uses colors in a way that the movie is nearly black and white. I am not a fan of the music of Stephen Sondheim, but they are presented in a way that they are woven effortlessly into the fabric of the movie. The movie is a little bit violent of course, but the story and the film itself is flawless - for a modern musical that is saying a lot. (#1 in 2011)

HOLLYWOOD FEUDS: CHEVY CHASE AND BILL MURRAY

Their animosity began in the chill backstage corridors of Saturday Night Live in February 1978. Chevy Chase, having risen to instant fame as SNL's original "Weekend Update" anchor, had departed after season two, confident his movie career awaited. Bill Murray, brought on in the next season, was dubbed the “new Chevy,” a tag that felt more like a weight than an honor to the quieter performer.

When Chevy returned to host the 11th episode of the third season, the air was already thick with tension. John Belushi, a close friend of Murray's, had been spreading veiled critiques of Chase to stir the pot. Things reached a boiling point one afternoon when Murray confronted Chase, accusing him of being universally disliked by the cast and crew. Their argument ignited with Murray mocking Chase’s personal life—“Go f**k your wife, she needs it”—to which Chase retorted with a biting insult about Murray’s appearance, likening it to lunar terrain.

Moments before airtime, the verbal rigmarole escalated into shoving and wild slaps in the hallway. Bill Murray cursed out Chevy as SNL writers and even Belushi intervened to pull them apart. Filmmaker John Landis later described them slapping and screaming, with Murray calling Chase a “medium talent,” evidence that their feud carried raw emotions and barbed humor.

In reflecting on the clash, Murray would later call it a “Hollywood fight,” a melodramatic eruption driven by shifting seasons, wounded pride, and collective resentment over Chase’s departure. He said it represented an “Oedipal thing”—a symbolic betrayal where he became the avenging voice for the ensemble.

Despite the heat of the moment, neither emerged with serious injuries. Chevy later shrugged, “Billy Murray and I came to fisticuffs, but we never really ended up hitting each other... we tried, but Belushi got in the middle and we both ended up hitting John”. The fight subsided under a flurry of intervention—John Belushi, Brian Doyle‑Murray, writers Michael O’Donoghue and Tom Davis—restoring pre-show calm and ensuring the broadcast proceeded as planned.

 
Time, oddly enough, became the balm. In 1979, at a party, Chevy delivered one of the wildest peace offerings in comedy lore: he drunkenly approached Murray, unzipped his fly, and mimed an oral gesture. Both burst into laughter, and just like that, the ice cracked. Their subsequent friendship was sealed on the set of Caddyshack (1980), where their camaraderie on-screen—smoking pot together—mirrored the thawing of their earlier hostilities.

Over the decades, their relationship transformed from fiery rivalry to mutual respect. Bill would later acknowledge that Weekend Update wouldn’t exist without Chevy, ranking him a worthy fourth among its anchors—humble praise tucked into a tribute that concluded with warm acknowledgment. Chevy, for his part, would lean on Murray’s subtle kindness even during tense moments, paying homage at SNL’s 50th anniversary with genuine picture-posting camaraderie.

Their feud, once a product of wounded egos and high-stakes comedy, ultimately became a testament to reconciliation. A loud hallway fight fades into the lore of showbiz; their later friendship, captured in film and shared history, reminds us that even the bitterest clashes can give way to something deeper and enduring...